May 22, 2004
Story courtesy of Eastern Conn. Sports Information Deptartment
MANSFIELD, CT - Frank Candella (MARCY, NY) got a fly ball and strikeout to subdue fifth-seeded Endicott College's eighth-inning rally as second-seeded Western New England College eliminated the Gulls from the 2004 NCAA Division III New England Regional Baseball Tournament, 3-1 Saturday afternoon at the ECSU Baseball Stadium.
The Gulls were coming off their first-ever NCAA tournament win Friday over sixth-seeded Amherst College (12-10). Trailing 3-0 today, Endicott loaded the bases with one out in the eighth on singles by Stephen Vidmosko (SHELTON, CT), No. 9 hitter Pat Vincent (MANCHESTER, NH) and leadoff hitter Dustin Aiguier (BREWSTER, NY). Aiguier's single chased Golden Bears' starter Ryan Macdonald (MILFORD, CT) in favor of Candella. Vidmosko scored Endicott's first run when Mike Lucas' (WOODBRIDGE, CT) bouncer to third was mishandled, but Candella got a fly ball to center and a strikeout looking to end the threat. The save was the first for Candella and only the third by the staff.
Endicott starter Matt Bishop (WOBURN, MA) battled Macdonald through the middle innings. Bishop carried a no-hitter into the fifth, when the Golden Bears broke through on a one-out double by Jason Connelly (SCITUATE, MA) and Rob Crouse's (ADAMS, MA) two-out infield single. The Bears made it 3-0 in the eighth when they scored twice with two out on RBI singles by Matt Hackney (BRISTOL, CT) and Tom Horgan (WESTFIELD, MA)
Western New England cleanup hitter Chris Mahoney (YORKVILLE, NY) extended his hitting streak to 30 games with a seventh-inning leadoff double.
With its second 3-1 tournament win over Endicott (27-20), Western New England (33-13) remains alive in the double-elimination tournament and was scheduled to face fourth-seeded Bridgewater State College late tonight in an elimination game. Top-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University defeated Bridgewater State College 19-3 in the winners' bracket final in Saturday's first game to advance to the championship round Sunday at noon as the tournament's only unbeaten team.
---------------------
Western NE (33-13) 000 010 020 -- 3 6 1
Endicott (27-21) 000 000 010 -- 1 6 1
Ryan Macdonald (7-3), Frank Candella (8) and Matt Hackney. Matt Bishop (3-3), Jon Trowt and Peter Norke, Mark Vaughan (8). Save-Candella (1). 2B-Chris Mahoney, Jason Connelly (W), Dustin Aiguier, Pat Vincent (E).
To read more on the NCAA tournament, go to http://cit3.easternct.edu/athletics/page.cfm?lid=155
