MINNEOLA, Fla. — The Endicott softball team posted a 7-3 non-conference victory over Clarkson on Friday evening to conclude its spring break trip to Florida at 8-2 overall.
Endicott's 8-2 start to the 2018 season matches the best beginning to a year over a 10-game span since 2014 - also 8-2 overall - while the Gulls eight wins in Florida over the last week matches the highest total on a spring break trip since 2008 (8-1).
Maggie Oram (Lexington, Mass.) earned the win (3-1) in today's contest on seven innings pitched, nine hits, three runs (all earned), two walks, and a game-high six strikeouts. Maggie Stark (Newfields, N.H.) received the loss (0-2) in relief via two innings, six hits, four runs (three earned), no walks, and one strikeout.
Tied 3-3 in the fifth, Endicott put a three-spot on the scoreboard behind an RBI single from Adrianna Favreau (Tewksbury, Mass.), a sacrifice fly off the bat of Hayley Arduini (Southington, Conn.), and a run-producing single up the middle by Olivia Odermatt (Cheshire, Conn.).
Jamie Hopgood (Warwick, R.I.) also added an RBI single through the right side in the sixth inning for good measure.
Clarkson did threaten in the seventh inning, but Oram erased a one-out, first-and-second situation with a strikeout swinging and a pop out to short for the victory.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Endicott is 1-1 in the all-time series against Clarkson.
- Hopgood put up another monster line at the plate going 3-for-4 with one run scored and two RBI. Her run-producing double in the first inning that opened the scoring in the contest just missed being a home run as it hit the top of the fence. It would have been her fourth round-tripper of the season.
- Hopgood currently has a slash line of .576/.605/1.061 (.avg/.obp/.slg) and has had two or more hits in eight out of 10 games this year.
- The Gulls scored twice in the second on RBIs from Hannah Llewellyn (Danvers, Mass.) and Peyton Atkins (Goshen, N.Y.).
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott (8-2) returns to action on Saturday, March 24 against Nichols at home (12 / 2 PM), pending field/weather conditions.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)