Posted: Apr 10, 2010
Box Score - Game 2 - Endicott vs. Salve Regina
BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott College improved its The Commonwealth Coast Conference record to a TCCC-leading 9-1 as the Gulls swept Salve Regina University, 9-8 and 2-0, on Saturday afternoon in Beverly, Mass. Endicott moves to 15-9 overall while the Seahawks dip to 13-12 and 6-6 in league play.
A wild game one featured a combined 23 hits and 17 runs with Endicott escaping with a 9-8 win. After jumping out to an 8-1 lead after three innings of play, Endicott was forced to hold off a Salve Regina charge that included a four-run fourth and two runs in the fifth inning. The Seahawks pulled within one by plating a single run in the sixth, but the Gulls shut the door in the seventh to preserve the victory.
The Gulls got off to a hot start in the first inning by scoring four runs on three hits. The rally started when \#Colin Sitarz\# (West Hartford, Conn.) laced a ground rule two RBI double down the left field line to score \#Chris Dominguez\# (Braintree, Mass.) and \#Ralph Fidaleo\# (Fairfield, Conn.). \#Andrew Betts\# (Bristol, Conn.) then plated a pair with a bloop single to right center to give the hosts a 4-0 lead.
Endicott scored another run in the second, and then saw \#Colin Sitarz\# rope a solo homerun off the rocks in left-center to lead off the third. Back-to-back doubles from Betts and \#Joe Klein\# (Monroe, Conn.) led to two more Endicott runs after an RBI single from \#Mike Russo\# (Natick, Mass.) plated the Gulls’ catcher.
It appeared as though Endicott would cruise to victory leading 8-1 after three, but the Seahawk bats came to life in the fourth. Senior Riley Diaz (Miami, Fla.) doubled to left, followed by an RBI single from Nicholas Politelli (Warwick, R.I.). Charles Matarazzo (Montville, N.J.) then stroked an RBI double to left-center before Michael O’Neill (Pawtucket, R.I.) doubled down the left field line to score another run. Alexander Melcher (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) helped add the fourth tally as he connected on an RBI single to center to bring Salve Regina within three, 8-5.
Endicott scored what turned out to be the winning run in the bottom of the fourth when \#Colin Sitarz\# reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Ralph Fidaleo to score.
Riley Diaz pulled the Seahawks one run closer in the fifth inning as he homered to centerfield. After crushing consecutive pitches foul down the right field line, Diaz hit a line drive that cleared the centerfield wall for a two run round-tripper. Diaz then helped plate another Seahawk run in the sixth with an RBI double to right field.
\#Benjamin Petrides\# (Belchertown, Mass.) came out of the bullpen in the seventh and earned the save as he was able to shut the door on the Seahawks’ charge. \#Joe Klein\# aided the effort as he gunned down Nick Dettorre (Wakefield, Mass.), who was trying to steal his way into scoring position.
Sitarz went 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored in game one. \#Andrew Betts\# finished 2-for-2 with two RBI. \#Nick Kelley\# (Malden, Mass.) grabbed the win despite allowing seven runs on 11 hits in four full innings.
Salve was paced by Diaz’s 3-for-3, three RBI and two run afternoon. Melcher hit 4-for-4 with two RBI while three other Seahawks’ had a multi-hit game. Brandon Bursie (Smithfield, R.I.) took the loss after surrendering eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits in 2.1 innings of work.
Game two, conversely, boiled down to a defensive pitching duel as the Gulls came away with a 2-0 win. \#Brendan Pittsley\# (Plympton, Mass.) earned his first collegiate win after outdueling his Seahawk counterpart with a five inning, no run outing. The rookie allowed on just four hits while walking one batter.
A scoreless tie in the fifth inning gave way when \#Eric Lemke\# (Southington, Conn.) beat out a 6-4-3 double play ball at first base that allowed Mike Russo to score from third. Endicott then added an insurance run in the sixth when \#Andrew Betts\# singled to center, plating \#Chris Dominguez\# who had doubled to the gap to lead off the frame.
Salve Regina had its best opportunity to tie the contest in the sixth inning as the Seahawks put two runners on with no outs to lead off the frame. After a Tom Glynn (Woodbridge, Conn.) strikeout, Endicott’s \#Colin Sitarz\# made a diving grab in right field for the second out of the inning. The Gulls’ \#Matt Sharon\# (Wallingford, Conn.) then got the hosts out of the jam as he got the dangerous Diaz swinging with a low inside pitch in the dirt to escape the sixth.
\#Eric Lemke\# had two hits, including the game-winning RBI, to lead the Gulls in game two. \#Chris Dominguez\# also added a pair of hits while \#Andrew Betts\# went 1-for-3 with the insurance RBI for the Gulls.
\#Matt Sharon\# earned his second save of the season as he went two innings, allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out three.
Endicott returns to action on Sunday when the Gulls travel to Paxton, Mass. to face Anna Maria in a TCCC double-dip. Salve Regina looks to rebound on the same day with a twinbill in Dudley, Mass. against Nichols College.
