BEVERLY, Mass. — The No. 2/5 nationally ranked Endicott baseball team topped Framingham State, 24-1, in an all-around successful non-conference Tuesday afternoon win at North Field.
WP (1-0): John Connolly (Attleboro, Mass.) — 5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
LP (0-1): Jason Strickland (Miller Place, N.Y.) — 2.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
The Gulls scored in all innings except for the fourth in a dominant offensive display during their home opener.
AJ Hamm (Shrewsbury, Mass.) set the tone out of the nine-hole with a five-for-five, four-RBI, and five-run afternoon. Danny MacDougall (Taunton, Mass.) also recorded a perfect three-for-three outing with five RBI's and two runs scored.
Zach Stephenson (Mansfield, Mass.) was slotted into the leadoff spot for the first time this season and immediately enjoyed success from there, as he cranked a solo shot over the right field fence for a leadoff homer in the first inning.
From there, the rest of the lineup continued to add on throughout the first half of the contest, as seven of nine starters recorded hits for the Blue and Green.
Beginning in the fifth inning, the subs started to flurry in for the Gulls. The bench continued to have the same level of success as the starters did, as they collectively went 8-for-15 with nine RBI's in the game.
Cade Bernardo (Glenmont, N.Y.), Richard Foresteire (Plymouth, Mass.), and Kyle Grabowski (Westfield, Mass.) each accompanied MacDougall and Hamm with multi-hit performances.
In the seventh inning, Ian Brown (Darien, Conn.) climbed into the batter's box for his first career Endicott plate appearance with runners on first and third. On just the second pitch he saw, he cracked a towering fly ball down the left field line that carried over the fence for a three-run bomb, making it 20-1 Endicott.
On the mound, Connolly carved up the Rams through five innings of work. He was followed by Pat Hart (Norfolk, Mass.), Aaron Blinn (Mansfield, Mass.), Foch Lovejoy (Durham, N.H.), and Derek Roberts (Wayland, Mass.), who combined to throw four shutout innings with five strikeouts (three hits, one walk) to close out the blowout home-opener win.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Hamm's five hits tied a program single-game record.
- All starters recorded either at least one RBI or run scored for the Gulls.
- First career appearances for Blinn and Roberts.
- Lovejoy pitched for the first time since the 2023 season.
- Trevor Kamuda (Groveland, Mass.) picked up his first career base knock in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single through the left side of the infield.
- Grabowski and MacDougall have each logged four multi-hit games this season.
- The Gulls extended their home win streak to 29 (48-1 since the start of 2023).
WHAT'S NEXT
No. 2/5 Endicott (5-1) welcomes Bates to North Field tomorrow for a 3:30 PM first pitch. Framingham State (1-2) takes on William Paterson down in Florida next Sunday, March 16 at 3 PM.
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(Photo Credit - Kiera Mallett '27)
