March 16, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. - After a very successful first day of the Florida Rebel Spring Games that saw Endicott College go 2-0, the Gulls were able to split their two games on Monday with a 4-0 win over Springfield College while suffering a 5-3 loss in extra-innings to Allegheny College. Endicott now sits at 3-1 in the young season as Jenna Bortolotti (Milton, Mass.) improved to a perfect 2-0 with the win over Springfield College.
In the first game of the day against Springfield College, both teams were stymied through the first three innings as neither team could push a run across the plate. Finally, in the bottom of the fourth, the Gulls broke through with three runs as the Pride made two errors in the inning.
After a pair of singles by Casey Shanley (Billerica, Mass.) and Merry MacDonald (Braintree, Mass.), Springfield's Aimee Cassella mishandled a Meghan Sargent (Salisbury, Mass.) contact that allowed Shanley to score. Following an Ashley Wright (Merrimack, N.H.) fly-out, Endicott's Sarah Spaziano (Norton, Mass.) reached on an error Jaimie Moran that allowed MacDonald and Sargent to score, giving the Gulls a three-run advantage.
MacDonald would add an RBI single in the fifth inning to pad Endicott's lead at 4-0. That would be all Bortolotti would need as she shut down the Pride in seven innings, striking out eight while scattering seven hits. MacDonald wrapped up the game going 3-for-3 while driving in the Gulls lone RBI in the 4-0 win.
Endicott was matched up with Allegheny College in the second contest of the day, which would need extra-innings to be decided. Both teams were held scoreless through the first two innings until Endicott broke through in the third. Jenna Lazar (Milton, Mass.) and Casey Shanley had back-to-back singles to start the inning and both runners moved into scoring position on a MacDonald sacrifice. Ashley Wright would single later in the inning to drive in Lazar to take a 1-0 lead.
Allegheny would respond two innings later in the fifth as the Gulls made several mistakes. Maggie Bodenlos would reach on an error by Kelly Tenney (Sandy Hook, Conn.) to start the inning. Bodenlos would be sacrificed to second and after a walk to Marci Potuzko, both runners would advance into scoring position on a passed ball. Rachel Ryan would capitalize on the mistakes as Ryan flied out to right field, driving in Bodenlos to knot the game at 1-1.
The game would spill into extra innings as Endicott would jump on top in the top half of the eighth inning. Jenna Lazar was sacrificed over to third by Casey Shanley to start the inning and Lazar would score on a MacDonald single, advancing to second on the throw. MacDonald then stole third and was able to score after an error by Ryan. The Gulls would head into the bottom of the eighth holding onto a 3-1 lead.
Allegheny would work quickly in the bottom half as the Gators had a first and third situation with only one out after a Felicia Gowanlock single moved Elizabeth Burr to third base. Allison Piper would follow with a bunt single that scored Burr, leaving the game at 3-2. With two runners on, Maggie Bodenlos stepped to the plate and crushed a three-run walk-off homerun, to send the Gators home with a 5-3 victory.
Jackie Collier (Swampscott, Mass.) took the loss for the Gulls as she pitched 7.1 innings while striking out three and walking four. Three of the five runs off Collier were earned as the Gulls made three errors in the contest. Stacey Robertshaw picked up the win for Allegheny as she gave up seven hits in eight innings of work, allowing only one earned run and striking out a pair of Gulls.
Endicott continues its week in Orlando, Fla. with a double-header on Tuesday against Westminster College at 3:00 p.m. followed by a 5:00 p.m. matchup with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
