CLERMONT, Fla. – The Endicott softball team competed in day two of the Dot Richardson Spring Games on Monday evening. Following a setback with regional foe, Trinity in the earlier slot the Blue and Green answered back with their first victory of the season over Smith with a 6-2 final. Endicott improves to 1-3 on the season as they look ahead to tomorrow, March 17th where they face two regional opponents, starting with MCLA at 9:00 a.m. and Southern Maine at 11:00 a.m.
Game One: Endicott 4, Trinity 5 – Eight Innings
Game one of the day was an absolute battle as sophomore Leigh Wyman (South Freeport, Maine) took the circle for the first time this season and hurled a complete, eight inning game. Despite the tough one-run loss, the sophomore posted four strikeouts while her counterparts, freshman Rachael Smith (Winchester, Mass.) and junior Hannah King (Kennebunk, Maine) combined for six.
Both sides would have a scoreless first and second inning while both pitchers rattled off a 1-2-3 inning in the second. The Bantams started the scoring in the top of the third as junior Elizabeth McQuaid (Lowell, Mass.) singled to centerfield which allowed senior Miranda Riendeau-Card (Bowdoinham, Maine) to cross home plate.
Freshman Erica Merullo (Lynnfield, Mass.) would follow suit as she launched a double to centerfield to send McQuid home for the 2-0 lead. The scoring in the third would not end there as the Gulls answered back in the bottom of the third to make it a tie game. With sophomore Lindsee Allienello (East Providence, R.I.) on third, junior Sam DiBella (Danvers, Mass.) cranked a triple to right-center to easily send her home.
With DiBella on third, sophomore Julia McNeill (Hauppauge, N.Y.) singled to right field to bring in the game-tying run to end the third inning at a 2-2 tie.
In the top of the fourth, the Bantams took advantage of a couple miscues by the Gulls and picked the lead back up to one. However, the Blue and Green quickly answered back as Gikas tied the game back up off a single from DiBella.
The top of the fifth would bring in the third straight inning where Trinity put a tally on the board after Merullo scored off a double from junior Erica Correa (Glen Rock, N.J.) for the 4-3 score. Endicott would not answer back until the bottom of the seventh. With one out and runners on first and third, senior Jess Linden (Startford, Conn.) stepped up to the plate and slapped a single to send Graney home to force extra innings with a 4-4 score.
In the top of the eighth the Bantams would secure the 5-4 victory as freshman Katharine Haghdan (Pelham, N.H.) rounded the bases off a ground out to the shortstop.
Game Two: Endicott 6, Smith 2
Coming off a tough one-run loss to Trinity just hours before, the Gulls came into the evening slot ready to compete for their first victory of the season. Junior Courtney Blake (East Islip, N.Y.) took the circle for the second time this week as she hurled a complete game allowing just seven hits while recording 65 strikes on 82 total pitches to improve to 1-1. Her counterpart, freshman Rowan Turner (Prairie Village, Kan.), worked to contain the Gulls but their heavy hitting throughout the game led to nine hits, and five RBIs.
The Gulls started the scoring in the top of the first as sophomore Chrissy Gikas (Danvers, Mass.) crossed home plate on a throwing error by the Pioneers. Junior Emily Hoffman (Malden, Mass.) would also take advantage of a miscue by Smith and reached home plate for a 2-0 score.
Blake would allow just one hit in the bottom of the first while Turner shut out the Blue and Green in the top of the second with a 1-2-3 inning. The quick top of the inning would give the Pioneers a boost in the bottom of the second as they rallied off two runs to make it a tie game.
After a scoreless third inning from both sides, the Gulls fired back with the eventual game-winning run in the top of the fourth as Hoffman singled to right field which allowed freshman Casie Beauchemin (Lincoln, R.I.) to score. The Pioneers would have an opportunity to tie the game up in the bottom of the fourth as sophomore Ruth Zimmerman (Edison, N.J.) was in scoring position when she was called for an interference which handed Smith two outs on the play to end the inning.
The fifth and sixth innings would be quiet for both sides but the seventh inning showed a hungry group of Gulls that racked up the runs on the scoreboard. With the bases loaded, senior Jess Linden (Stratford, Conn.) blasted a triple down the right field line to send everyone around the bases to add some insurance runs for the eventual 5-2 victory.
Blake and her unit would close out the seventh with a quick 1-2-3 inning to secure the triumph.
