Nickolas Perkins' Two-Run Homer Leads Endicott over Pomona-Pitzer, 5-1

CLAREMONT, Calif. – Endicott freshman designated hitter Nickolas Perkins (Nashua, N.H.) swatted his first collegiate homerun and helped the Gulls to a 5-1 victory over No. 28 Pomona-Pitzer to improve their spring break record in California to 4-1. 

In the top of the first, after senior outfielder Michael Casciano (Somers, Conn.) singled home senior second baseman Michael DeDonato (Chelmsford, Mass.) to put Endicott up 1-0, Perkins drove a two-run shot to right center for his first college long ball. With two outs in the inning and runners on first and third, Gulls senior Brad Rebello (Bellingham, Mass.) and sophomore Ian Schmidt (Plymouth, Conn.) successfully pulled off a double-steal with Schmidt taking home.

With a four-run cushion, Endicott freshman Jacob Thibault (Methuen, Mass.) took the mound and in his first collegiate start and pitched four solid innings. Thibault allowed one earned run on four hits and four walks, struck out none, but managed to force eight fly outs and two double-play balls. 

The Endicott bullpen came on in relief of Thibault and shutdown the Sagehens over the final five innings as sophomore Alexander Mandrus (Acton, Mass.) made his third appearance already this season and earned the win (2-0), while senior Victor Molle (Peabody, Mass.) pitched two shutout innings, and junior Will Bryant (Cumberland, Maine) hurled a scoreless ninth to secure the win. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• This was the first meeting between Endicott and Pomona-Pitzer since 2002 when the Gulls dropped a pair of spring break games in late March. 
• Casciano went 3-for-5 with two runs and a RBI in the win. He is batting .421 on the year. 
• Rebello accounted for Endicott's fifth and final run in the top of the fifth on an infield single that scored Casciano. Rebello finished with three hits in four plate appearances. 
• DeDonato reached base in four out of his five plate appearances with two hits and two walks.

FOR THE FOES

• Pomona-Patzer sophomore shortstop Nolan McCafferty (Woodinville, Wash.) had a productive 4-for-5 day at the plate which included an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to score the Sagehens only run.
• Jeremiah Quezada (Corona, Calif.) and Jack Hanley (Martinsville, N.J.) both had multi-hit games in the loss. 
• Freshman Hunter Hennish (Alameda, Calif.) took the loss to drop to 1-1 after four earned runs in the top of the first.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (4-1) returns to action on Wednesday, March 14 with a game at Occidental (9-6, 6-3 SCIAC) starting at 4:00 PM EST. No. 28 Pomona-Pitzer (13-6, 5-1 SCIAC) hosts Williams on Wednesday, March 21 in their next game. 

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