May 8, 2009
BEVERLY, Mass. - Endicott College cranked out 18 hits, including a 4-for-4 effort from sophomore Ashley Wright (Merrimack, N.H.), as the Gulls rallied from a five run deficit to eliminate Husson University, 11-6, on Friday morning in NCAA Regional Tournament action in Beverly, Mass. The win improves the Gulls to 38-8 overall and pushes them into a Saturday match-up with the loser of Friday's Coast Guard vs. Springfield contest.
Husson wasted no time getting to Endicott starter Jenna Bortolotti (Milton, Mass.) as the Eagles' Casey Berry (Newcastle, Maine) launched a solo homerun in the bottom of the first to put Husson in front, 1-0. A four-run second, fueled by four hits including a two RBI single to center by Megan Bradstreet (Warren, Maine), upped the Eagles' advantage to 5-0.
Despite the large deficit, the Gulls proved worthy of the challenge as the Blue and Green scored three times in the third and then posted another three spot in the fourth. The Gulls strung together three hits in the third frame, all while capitalizing on a Husson error, and then played small-ball in the fourth by dropping three-straight bunts that resulted in three runs.
The offensive onslaught continued in the fifth, sixth and seventh, as Endicott scored a combined five runs in the final three innings. Senior Jackie Collier (Swampscott, Mass.) took the ball from Bortolotti in the fifth inning and proceeded to shut down the Eagles' offense, holding Husson hitless in her 2.1 innings of work.
Wright led the way for the Gulls with a 4-for-4 morning that featured two runs scored. Leadoff hitter Jenna Lazar (Milton, Mass.) was 2-for-5 with three RBI while Meghan Sargent (Salisbury, Mass.) went 3-for-4 with a run scored and one driven in.
Husson was paced offensively by Cassie Berry's two homeruns and two RBI. Nicole Sargent (Sullivan, Maine) took the loss as she surrendered eight runs on 12 hits. Husson ends its season at 26-16.
