May 1, 2007
BEVERLY, MA - The Endicott College softball team rode a four run first inning to a Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament second round win, defeating the Curry College Colonels, 6-0 on Tuesday afternoon in Beverly.
The Gulls got things going early as Jenna Lazar (Milton, MA/Milton) worked a walk then came around to score on a Danielle Sargent (Sabattus, ME/Oak Hill) two run home run. Meghan Sargent (Salisbury, MA/Triton) followed with a single up the middle and came around to score when Maria Mangine (Lockport, NY/Lockport) hit a single that dropped in between the shortstop and left fielder.
The Gulls made it 4-0 later in the inning when Casey Shanley (Billerica, MA/Billerica) hit a groundball up the middle that no one could make a play on allowing Rachel Pearson (Gales Ferry, CT/Ledyard) to score all the way from second.
The Gulls added a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning when Shanley hit a solo home run off the rock façade in straight away center. Jenn Elwell (Tewksbury, MA/Shawsheen Tech) then hit a single up the middle giving way to Aly Keene (Auburn, ME/Edward Little) who came in to pinch run for the pitcher and later came around to score on a sinking liner off the bat of Jenna Lazar that dropped into left field for an RBI single.
Elwell collected a hit but more importantly she pitched a gem on the mound. The junior went seven innings allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out five. She ran into a little trouble in the fourth inning, loading the bases, but got Jessica Coyle to ground out to second base to end the inning and preserve the lead, going on to pick up the win and improve her record to 10-2 on the year.
The middle of the Gulls lineup was once again trouble for opposing pitching as the two through five hitters went 4-for-11 with four runs scored, three RBI, a home run and three walks. Jenna Lazar led the Gulls with two hits going 2-for-3 with a run scored while Danielle Sargent went 1-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI.
Curry College topped New England College, 6-3 in a CCC Tournament opening round match up at Endicott prior to its game with the Gulls.
NEC got on the board early taking advantage of some control trouble by Colonels pitcher Kimberly Sturgis (Saugus, MA/Saugus). The Pilgrims took a 1-0 lead on a bloop single by Amanda Lester (Columbia, CT/Windham) that scored Alexandria Sacco (Tewksbury, MA/Tewksbury) from second base.
Emily Taylor (Wakefield, MA/Wakefield) tied the game for Curry with a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning. Jessica Riddle (Billerica, MA/Billerica) Alysia DiMuzio (Quincy, MA/Quincy) and Diane Gilbody (Quincy, MA/Quincy) followed up with back-to-back-to-back homers to give the Colonels a 5-1 lead.
The Pilgrims answered right back as Lester roped a double to the gap in left bringing up Kristen Purdy (Candia, NH/Manchester Central) who launched a home run of her own cutting the Curry lead to two runs at 5-3. Curry would add a sixth run in the fifth inning as Riddle worked a one out walk then came around to score on fielder's choice by Gilbody that induced a high throw to the plate from NEC shortstop Alexandria Sacco.
The 6-3 win setup the meeting between Curry and the Gulls while the loss moved New England College to the losers bracket of the tournament. After falling to Endicott the Colonels also move to the losers bracket while the Blue and Green remain in the winner's bracket and play will play either Salve Regina, the University of New England or Roger Williams on Thursday at Roger Williams at 5:00 pm.
