BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott baseball team fell to Suffolk University, 7-4, in non-conference action on Senior Day at North Field.
Prior to the game, seniors Hunter Boyce (Bangor, Maine), Michael Casciano (Somers, Conn.), Michael DeDonato (Chelmsford, Mass.), Will Ferreira (Nantucket, Mass.), Victor Molle (Peabody, Mass.), Brad Rebello (Bellingham, Mass.), and student assistant coach Colin Mason were all honored for their contributions towards the program and the Endicott College community in a Senior Day ceremony.
Charles Batchelder (Shrewsbury, Mass.) earned the win (6-2) on 8 2/3 innings pitched, six hits, four runs (all earned), one walk and a game-high eight strikeouts. Batchelder was lifted in the ninth after throwing 135 pitches (90 strikes) for Tyler Zell (Marion, Mass.) who recorded his third save of the season.
Cooper Anibal (Bedford, N.H.) received the loss (1-2) via 1 1/3 innings of work, zero hits, two runs (both earned), and two free passes.
Down 7-2 in the ninth, Nickolas Perkins (Nashua, N.H.) blasted a pinch-hit, solo home run with two outs to deep right field to cut into the deficit at 7-3. Matthew Robida (Chester, Conn.) followed with a pinch-hit base knock to right field (first career), while Matthew McKinley (Hudson, N.H.) made it 7-4 with a double to left field. McKinley's RBI also forced Batchelder out of the game.
Upon coming into the contest, Zell hit the first batter he faced and also threw a wild pitch before he eventually settled down to induce a game-ending groundout to second base.
Suffolk trailed 2-0 after the first inning of play but scored two in the sixth, three more in the seventh, and another pair of runs in the eighth for their third win in a row.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Endicott's seven game-winning streak came to an end tonight.
- Despite the loss, the Gulls are 15-10 all-time against Suffolk.
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott (24-12) hosts No. 5 nationally ranked UMass Boston tomorrow at 6 PM. Suffolk (21-16) will serve as the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) later this week.
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(Photo Credit - Michael Rotiroti)