LEESBURG, Fla. — The Endicott softball team opened up its 2018 season with a pair of victories on Sunday afternoon against UMaine-Farmington (9-3) and Fitchburg State (9-0, 5 innings) at the Sleepy Hollow Softball Complex. Junior pitcher Laura Somerville (Suffield, Conn.) highlighted the sweep for the Gulls with a no-hitter versus Fitchburg State, tying her career-high in strikeouts with eight in the outing.

GAME ONE: Endicott 9, UMaine-Farmington 3

Maggie Oram (Lexington, Mass.) earned the win (1-0) for the Gulls on seven innings pitched, four hits, three runs (all earned), one walk and six strikeouts. Meanwhile, her counterpart, Kailyn Hill (Lisbon, Maine) took the loss (0-1) with a line of three innings pitched, seven hits, six runs (five earned), four free passes, and three punchouts.

Trailing 3-0 in the second, Endicott cut into the deficit with a two-run single up the middle from Lindsee Allienello (East Providence, R.I.) to make it 3-2. The Gulls then took the lead for good in the third when Madison Mucci (Danvers, Mass.) laced a three-run double to deep right field for a 5-3 advantage.

Danielle Stratton (Agawam, Mass.) went on to add a run-producing single in the fourth, while Adrianna Favreau (Tewksbury, Mass.) knocked in a run with a double in the sixth and Mucci capped the scoring with a two-run base knock up the middle in the same frame.

GAME TWO: Endicott 9, Fitchburg State 0 (5 inn.)

After ending Fitchburg State's first inning second-and-third threat with two outs via a strikeout (looking), Somerville took over the matchup retiring the next six batters she faced via the strikeout (five swinging) to give Endicott some much-needed momentum headed into the bottom of the third.

The Gulls wasted little time capitalizing on Somerville's consecutive strikeout streak with three runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings to run away with the victory.

Somerville remained the story the rest of the way but she did receive some great defensive efforts from her teammates in the fourth to keep the no-hitter intact. With runners on first and second and no outs, Favreau got the defensive showcase started by turning a 4-3 double play before Hannah Llewellyn (Danvers, Mass.) converted the final out of the frame with a diving stop towards short on a hard-hit ground ball prior to firing a strike across the diamond to preserve the no-no and keep the Falcons off the scoreboard.

Meanwhile, in the fifth, Somerville shut the door on her first career no-hitter as a Gull with a strikeout swinging, fly out to right, and a pop up to short.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORES

• Katie Bettencourt earned her first and second career wins as head coach of the Endicott softball program. 
• The Gulls are 2-0 all-time versus UMaine-Farmington and 4-1 all-time against Fitchburg State.
• Mucci's five RBI in game one was a career-high.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (2-0) takes on Rutgers-Newark and Smith College at 11 AM and 3 PM, respectively, tomorrow in Minneola, Florida. 

For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

(Photo Credit - David Le '10)