BEVERLY, Mass. – Trailing 3-0 for much of the game, Endicott scored three times in the eighth inning and then loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth before graduate student Colin Sitarz (West Hartford, Conn.) took a four-pitch walk to force in the winning run, as the Gulls defeated Bates 4-3 on Monday afternoon in their final baseball game of the regular season.
The victory is the ninth straight for Endicott (28-11), who has also won 18 of their last 21 games, dating back to April 6th. Bates will have to try to climb back above .500, as they move to 15-15 on the season.
With the walk, Sitarz collected his 138th career RBI, tying the record for most in an Endicott career, which had been set by Bryan Caruso (1999-2002).
Senior catcher Robbie Goldstick (Deerfield, Ill.) came across with the winning run after battling through a tough at-bat to draw a leadoff walk.
The Gulls were held to just four hits and no runs through seven and two-thirds innings, but used a two-out eighth inning rally to tie the score.
Sophomore Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass.) hit a ringing single to center and the Gulls loaded the bases on two more walks before freshman Matt Paola (Middlebury, Conn.) reached on an infield single to shortstop and Oringer scored to get the Gulls on the board.
The reigning Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Player of the Week, center fielder Tad Gold (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.) tied the game for the Gulls with a two-run single through the left side that scored Sitarz and first baseman Brett Holmgren (Middleboro, Mass.).
Endicott reliever Kevin Dupras (Belchertown, Mass.) earned the win, improving to 2-1 on the season. Dupras pitched the top of the ninth and, despite giving up back-to-back lead-off singles, worked out of a jam, striking out Ryan Sonberg (Windsor, Conn.) and getting Alex Parker (Lewiston, Maine) to ground out to short.
Junior Tyler Hill (Las Vegas, Nev.) helped keep the game close, throwing three and two-thirds innings of relief allowing just one hit and collecting two strikeouts for the Blue and Green.
Freshman Corbin Hyde (Lewiston, Maine) threw a scoreless eighth for the Gulls and had the unique opportunity to pitch against his brother, Bates right fielder Mekae Hyde (Lewiston, Maine), who led off the inning and walked.
Sonberg had put the visitors on top in the third with a sacrifice fly that scored Nate Pajka (Douglas, Mass.), who had a 3-for-4 day to lead the Bobcats offense. Bates tacked on two more runs in the fourth, when Hyde and left fielder Kevin Davis (North Andover, Mass.) led off with back to back doubles. Davis would eventually come around to score on a wild pitch by freshman JJ Branch (Milford, Mass.), who was charged with three earned runs and allowed five hits over three and a third innings.
Freshman Samuel Warren (Norfolk, Va.) was saddled with the loss for the Bobcats, surrendering one run on four walks and two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Warren came on with two outs and the bases loaded in the eighth and gave up the singles to Paola and Gold, then walked three batters in the ninth and hit Holmgren with a pitch, which loaded the bases.
The Bobcats got a quality start from junior Chris Fusco (Annapolis, Md.), who went 6.2 innings and allowed four hits, with one walk and one strikeout. He made way for sophomore Sam Maliska (Palo Alto, Calif.), who was charged with three runs on a hit and two walks.
Endicott is off until Thursday afternoon, when they will host the first game of the CCC Tournament. The Gulls are the #2 seed and will welcome in fifth seeded Wentworth for a 3:00 pm first pitch.
Bates will continue its non-conference schedule on Wednesday afternoon when it hosts the top New England team, University of Southern Maine, at 4:00 pm.
