Posted: Mar 31, 2012
BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott softball team continued their early season success against CCC opponents after winning their second straight doubleheader, this time against Eastern Nazarene. The Gulls are now 8-5 (4-0 CCC) and will take on the University of New England tomorrow for two games starting at noon.
Eastern Nazarene dropped to 5-15 overall and 1-5 in league action following Saturday’s losses.
Game One: Endicott 5, Eastern Nazarene 0
Box Score
A two-run shot over the centerfield wall by junior Colleen Martin (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) provided all the offense the Gulls would need in game one versus the Lions.
Endicott added two more runs in the third on a triple by sophomore Alexandra Moise (North Reading, Mass.) that plated Jocelyn Russo (Middletown, Conn.) from second base and another run later in the inning on after a first and third situation involving a rundown allowed Moise to score from third base.
The Gulls capped off their scoring in the bottom of the fifth on a RBI single to right by Martin, who finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored.
In the circle for the Blue and Green, sophomore Danielle LaRocque (Averill Park, N.Y.) pitched seven shutout innings and struck out seven Eastern Nazarene batters en route to her second in of the season. She allowed just three hits in the game.
Two of the hits LaRocque allowed went to the opposing pitcher, Eastern Nazarene freshman Kori Sorensen (Quincy, Mass.), who went 2-for-3. Sorensen pitched well, striking out seven in six innings but allowed five runs, three earned, on seven hits and three walks. She dropped to 4-4 on the season.
Game Two: Endicott 8, Eastern Nazarene 0 (6 inn.)
Box Score
Game two was a pitcher’s duel through the first four innings with Endicott’s Kayla Carignan (Laconia, N.H.) and Eastern Nazarene’s Carissa Cicolini (Methuen, Mass.) allowing just two hits each. Only a RBI single by Gulls sophomore Jesse Bilafer (Concord, Mass.) in the third inning had Endicott leading 1-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, Bilafer had another RBI hit which started a five-run rally for the Gulls. Moise singled in Bilafer, then junior Katelyn Soja (Chicopee, Mass.) tripled to right to drive home two more runs. A wild pitch brought in Endicott’s final run of the inning making it 6-0 Gulls.
Endicott would score two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the game short on the mercy rule after another wild pitch plated a runner and junior captain Byrne Katz (Trumbull, Conn.) ended the game on a walk-off hit to right that brought home Bilafer.
Bilafer went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored and her fourth stolen base of the season. Russo and Martin also swiped bags in this game.
Eastern Nazarene first baseman Cayla Clinkscale (Winchendon, Mass.) went 2-for-2 to lead the Lions.
Carignan earned the victory to improve to 3-1 on the year after going six innings with four strikeouts. She allowed five hits and one walk.
