May 7, 2004
Story Courtesy of Scott Dietz, Sports Information Director, Wheaton College
Norton, MA- Freshman hurler Robyn Savitske (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley) struck out nine batters and junior Megan Young (Portland, ME/Portland) scored the go-ahead run in the bottom half of the sixth, leading the number-four seed Endicott College softball team to a 4-1 victory over fifth-seeded Bridgewater State College in the first game of the NCAA Division III New England Regional Tournament held at Wheaton College's Clark Field.
With their 10th straight win of the season, the Gulls advance to the 2:00 p.m. game and will play host Wheaton. Bridgewater State will face the loser of game two between Williams College and Western Connecticut State University in the tournament's first elimination game at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon.
Savitske and Bear sophomore pitcher Katilyn Gambino (Abington, MA/Abington) combined to allow one hit through the first three innings of action, but in the top of the fourth Bridgewater used a single, sacrifice bunt and single down the left field line to plate its only run of the contest. Junior Natalie Barbanti (Saugus, MA/Saugus) opened the inning with a slap hit to short, moved to second on a Kim Olson (Boston, MA/West Chicago) sac bunt to third and later scored on a Natalia Ardagna (Revere, MA/Revere) base hit to give the Bears a lead that would hold until the sixth.
Entering the sixth frame with only two hits, Endicott broke the game open with four hits and two walks to pull away from the Bears. Junior Katie Doherty (Saugus, MA/Saugus) highlighted the inning with a two-run single up the middle. Senior Laura Mangini (Gansevoort, NY/Saratoga Springs), who was credited with the game-winning single earlier in the inning, and freshman Laura Schack (Milford, CT/Lauralton Hall) accounted for the Gulls' other two runs batted in.
Savitske, who collected her ninth consecutive victory to improve to 14-3 overall, allowed a double to center to open the seventh but then settled in to force three straight outs to clinch the win. Savitske yielded three hits with one walk, while BSC's Gambino allowed four runs on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 5.2 innings of work. There were no multiple-hit performances in the game.
