Springfield Downs Gulls 8-2
April 22, 2005
(Beverly, MA) After allowing four runs in the top of the first, Endicott answered with one of its own in the bottom half. But that was all until the ninth as Springfield starter and winner, Brian Royal (2-3), confounded EC hitters with a fastball/change up combo to pitch hitless ball until he was relieved in the eighth. Jamie Turner pitched four inning and took the loss dropping his record to 4-2.
Turner opened the game with a strikeout, but after two walks, an infield error on a double-play ball off the bat of Derek Yvon scored the game's first run. Designated hitter, Matt Basteri, made the error hurt with a three run home run to deep right center field that put Springfield way out front early.
The Gulls got one back in the bottom of the first when Matt Bishop doubled to deep left center and Dan Gomez singled him in with a laser off the shortstop's glove. But that would be it for the Gulls while Royal was in the game. Four walks were his only blemishes for the next six innings.
Springfield threatened in the second, but Pat Vincent picked his fourth outfield assist of the year by gunning down lead off man Mike Burns, who had doubled, at the plate for the final out of the inning. Springfield went back on the attack in the third, picking up two runs on three hits including another Basteri double.
The teams exchanged zeros through the seventh inning as Royal cruised and Endicott's Jason Newham came on and pitched four innings of one-hit ball. Springfield got two more unearned runs; one in the eighth without the benefit of a hit, and one in the ninth with just one hit. The Gulls also picked up an unearned run without a hit in the bottom of the ninth off of Springfield's second reliever, Scott Samolewicz.
The loss drops EC to 19-11 and improves Springfield, winners of six straight, to 13-13.