Posted: Apr 27, 2010
BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott College scored two runs in the third and rallied for a three-run seventh as the third-seeded Gulls downed sixth-seeded Eastern Nazarene, 6-2, in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference playoff game on Tuesday afternoon in Beverly, Mass. The win improves the Gulls to 26-14 and advances them in the Winner’s Bracket of the tournament, while the Lions dip to 16-21 and fall into an elimination game on Wednesday.
ENC got on the board first as the Lions loaded the bases with three-straight singles to lead off the frame. The visitor’s scored on an RBI groundout to second base that allowed junior Justin Denbow (Readfield, Maine) to score from third.
The Gulls scored a pair of runs in the third inning to grab their first lead of the day. \#Joe Kasabuski\# (Saugus, Mass.) led off with a single back up the middle, and then went to third on a well-timed hit and run play with \#Eric Lemke\# (Southington, Conn.) who singled through the right side of the infield. An RBI groundout from \#Chris Dominguez\# (Braintree, Mass.) scored Kasabuski, and then \#Aaron Santos\# (Cambridge, Mass.) laced the go-ahead single to left that plated \#Ralph Fidaleo\# (Fairfield, Conn.).
Endicott made it 3-1 in the fifth when the Gulls scored on a passed ball, and then blew the game open with a three-run seventh. In the seventh \#Mike Russo\# (Natick, Mass.) got a free pass to first after being hit by a Gregg Olsen (San Diego, Calif.) pitch, followed by a bunt single from \#Andrew Betts\# (Bristol, Conn.). Kasabuski cleared the bases with a triple to deep center field, scoring two. Chris Dominguez then connected on a sacrifice fly to left to score Kasabuski giving Endicott a 6-1 lead.
The Lions got a single run back in the top of the eighth with an RBI double by Luke Matthews (Boise, Idaho). The run would be the final of the day, however, as Endicott held on for the 6-2 win.
\#Colin McGinn\# (Tolland, Conn.) went eight strong innings for the Gulls, allowing just two runs on seven hits while striking out five. \#Benjamin Petrides\# (Belchertown, Mass.) came on in the ninth to help shut the door, and got help from catcher Joe Klein (Monroe, Conn.) who gunned down a stealing Alexander Alcantara (Bronx, N.Y.) for the game’s final out.
Eastern Nazarene’s Gregg Olson tossed eight innings and was charged with six runs (five earned) on eight hits with five strikeouts. Luke Matthews was the lone Lion to record a multi-hit day, as the junior went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Endicott’s \#Joe Kasabuski\# was a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI. \#Chris Dominguez\# drove in a pair of runs in the winning effort.
Endicott will host seventh-seeded Anna Maria College on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. The AMCATS pulled the upset and knocked off No. 2 seed Western New England, 11-7, on Tuesday in Springfield, Mass. Eastern Nazarene will travel to WNEC for an elimination game against the Golden Bears.
