Posted: Apr 29, 2010
Box Score - Endicott vs. Anna Maria
BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott College scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to beat Anna Maria College, 5-2, and advance in the winners bracket of The Commonwealth Coast Conference Playoffs on Thursday afternoon in Beverly, Mass. The AMCATS defeated Salve Regina University, 4-2, in game one of the playoff doubleheader to advance and take on the Gulls. TCCC Tournament action resumes on Friday when the Gulls will host a pair of games in Beverly, Mass. as well as in Wenham, Mass. at Gordon College.
In the first game of the day between Anna Maria and Salve Regina, Holly Renna (Charlton, Mass.) tossed seven innings, giving up only three hits and a pair of unearned runs as the AMCATS defeated the Seahawks, 4-2.
Neither team produced any offense until the top of the fourth when Anna Maria had runners on second and third with Tabitha Ruggeri (Sturbridge, Mass.) up at the plate. Salve’s Sarah Jakiela (Meriden, Conn.) was called for an illegal pitch that allowed the runners to move up a base and pushed the first run across for the AMCATS. Ruggeri then took the next Jakiela offering and hit a perfectly placed flyball down the left field line that dropped in for a single and gave AMC a 2-0 lead.
Allyssa Boykin (Worcester, Mass.) added a solo homerun in the top of the fifth and Samantha Putis (Charlton, Mass.) added one of her own in the bottom of the sixth to stake the AMCATS to a 4-0 lead headed into the seventh inning. Salve Regina finally strung some offense together as the Seahawks had runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.
Christina Walsh (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) hit a groundball to shortstop that could have ended the game but Becky Mercurio’s (Worcester, Mass.) throw sailed high of first and allowed two runs to score and cut the Anna Maria lead to 4-2. Renna retained her composure and forced Kristen Parolise (Hamden, Conn.) to fly out to rightfield to end the game.
Anna Maria received multi-hit days from Tabitha Ruggeri, Mary Moroski (Worcester, Mass.) and Becky Mercurio as the trio combined to go 6-for-9 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored. Boykin and Putis each drove in a run and scored a run as they did all their damage with two swings of the bat with a pair of solo homeruns.
Salve Regina was led by a 2-for-3 day from Jillian Quintana (Denver, Colo.) while Courtney Fleming (Wethersfield, Conn.) added the other base hit and scored a run. Sarah Jakiela suffered the setback, going seven innings and giving up nine hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out four.
Anna Maria advanced to take on Endicott in game two and came out swinging as the AMCATS grabbed a quick 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Moroski that scored 2010 TCCC Player of the Year Sarah Boyda (Oxford, Mass.). The Gulls were quick to respond, however, as \#Hayley Hovhanessian\# (Farmington, Conn.) singled home \#Merry MacDonald\# (Braintree, Mass.) to knot the game at one run apiece in their half of the first.
AMC took its second lead of the ballgame as Jill Hurley (Worcester, Mass.) dropped down a bunt with Boyda and Ruggeri in scoring position and Endicott’s \#Nicole Devlin\# (Dudley, Mass.) could not make a play, giving the AMCATS a 2-1 lead. Anna Maria eventually loaded the bases, but 2010 TCCC Pitcher of the Year \#Jenna Bortolotti\# (Milton, Mass.) struck out Putis and forced Dominique Marchand (Mendon, Mass.) to lineout to second to end the threat.
In the bottom of the fourth, pinch-hitter \#Colleen Martin\# (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) started a two-out rally with her single into right center. Martin stole second and was followed by a walk to \#Sarah Spaziano\# (Norton, Mass.). 2010 Rookie of the Year \#Krista Fales\# (Melrose, Mass.) stepped to the plate and promptly nailed an RBI single up the middle to score Martin and tie the game at 2-2. \#Megan Downey\# (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) had similar results in the next at bat as she drove an RBI single to the same spot to give EC a 3-2 lead. Senior \#Jenna Lazar\# (Milton, Mass.) capped off the scoring for the Gulls with another single up the middle, plating a pair of runs, and giving the Gulls a three-run advantage.
Following a dropped by flyball in the outfield to start the fifth, \#Jenna Bortolotti\# only allowed one hit over her final three innings of work to pick up her 18th win of the season. The junior went seven innings, allowing only five hits and giving up two runs (one earned) while striking out six. Bortolotti received plenty of offense from her senior teammates as Downey, Lazar, MacDonald and \#Sarah Spaziano\# combined to go 8-for-14 on the day with three RBI and three runs scored.
The AMCATS received hits from Boyda, Ruggeri, Moroski and Boykin to pace their attack. Moroski drove in the lone RBI for AMC while Sarah Boyda scored both of the AMCAT runs. Holly Renna fell to 19-13 this season after allowing 11 hits and five earned runs in six innings of work.
All three teams return to action on Friday afternoon. No. 4-seeded Salve Regina faces off with No. 3 Western New England College at 2:30 p.m. on the campus of Endicott College. \#5 Anna Maria travels to Gordon College to take on \#6 Curry College, also at 2:30 p.m. Top-seeded Endicott hosts No. 2 University of New England following the Salve Regina/WNEC game while the winner of Salve Regina and WNEC takes on the winner of Anna Maria and Curry following the completion of the AMC/Curry game.
