April 6, 2005
(Quincy, MA) Reeling off nine straight wins, seven since returning from Florida, gave the Endicott baseball team its best start in the program's 11-year history at 10-3. However, the Crusaders of Eastern Nazarene took two (9-2 and 1-0) from the Gulls today and stretched their own winning streak to eight games and improve their record to 11-5. The Gulls drop to 10-5.
In game one, the Gulls jumped on top early in the top of the first inning with a double from Greg Allain that scored Gavin Softic who had walked. However Eastern Naz answered with two runs on three hits in the bottom off Endicott starter Ian Parkinson. The Crusaders tacked on one in the third and one in the fourth, before breaking it open with three more in the fifth. The Endicott bats went cold as the Gulls could send no more than four batters to the plate in any inning thereafter. The credit goes to ENC starter and winner, sophomore Tim Morrison. In all he allowed two runs on six hits. Bright spots for Endicott were Greg Allain who went 3-for-3 with an RBI and Dan Gomez who hit a solo home run to start the seventh inning. With his three hits, Allain improved his team-leading batting average to .444 (20 for 45).
In game two, Endicott hoped to reverse its fortunes, but unfortunately got more of the same. Starting pitcher, Mike Daggett, wiggled off a hook in the second inning when right fielder Pat Vincent started an inning-ending double play by catching a would-be sac-fly and throwing out a runner at home plate. From there Dagget would only allow one run on five hits in six innings. However, ENC starter, John Morgan, made that run stand up by shutting out Endicott on only four hits to earn a 1-0 victory. The Gulls threatened Morgan in the top of the sixth by getting runners to the corners with two outs. But Morgan induced a strike out to end the inning. Dan Gomez picked up two more hits to raise his average to .333.
The Gulls get a day off on Thursday and return to action on Friday as they host NEWMAC foe, Babson. The weekend is busy with Wentworth on the road (at Babson College) on Saturday and Roger Williams on the road on Sunday.
