Endicott holds off RIC, 6-5
March 14, 2011
Boxscore
Auburndale, Fla. – Endicott baseball scored three runs in the second inning and added three more in the seventh before holding off a late rally by Rhode Island College to pull out a 6-5 win. The Gulls improve to 3-2 overall with five games remaining in their spring break trip.
The Anchormen were first on the board after Dan Hopkins (Cranston, R.I.) hit an RBI single in the bottom half of the first inning.
The Gulls responded with three runs the following inning to take a 3-1 lead. Danny Mello (Peabody, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to lead off and proceeded to steal second base. One batter later Mike Griffin (Arlington, Mass.) reached base on an error, advancing Mello to third. Joe Klein (Monroe, Conn.) stepped up and hit an RBI single to score Mello before stealing second himself. A throwing error by the catcher scored Griffin from third base.
Hopkins’ solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning trimmed the lead to just one. Both teams went scoreless over the next two innings before the Gulls stretched the lead to four with a two-out rally in seventh.
RIC pitcher Mike DeWald (Hope Valley, R.I.) hit Chris Dominguez (Braintree, Mass.) with two outs and nobody on before issuing a free pass to reigning TCCC Player of the Week Colin Sitarz (West Hartford, Conn.). DeWald was pulled in favor of Josh Lynch (West Greenwich, R.I.), who proceeded to give up a double-steal and RBI single by Mello. With runners at the corners, another Gulls’ double-steal scored Sitarz. Freshman Jake Northrup (Boxborough, Mass.) belted an RBI double to cap the scoring and provide an all-important sixth run.
The Anchormen got a pair back on the bottom of the seventh before both sides went scoreless in the eighth.
Endicott left one standing in the top of the ninth and took a slim two-run lead into the final at-bats.
Junior Brent Hopkins (Cranston, R.I.) mirrored his brother with a solo home run to lead off the inning, prompting a pitching change for the Gulls. Freshman reliever Tyler Hill (Plymouth, N.H.) allowed a pair of runners to reach first base but picked off the first and closed the inning with a double-play to earn the save.
Tyler Hitchcock (Abington, Mass.) went six innings in the win, allowing four runs (three earned) and five hits while striking out five. DeWald went six and two-thirds, allowing five runs (three earned) and fanning six in the loss.
Dominguez finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored. The senior also accounted for three of Endicott’s eight stolen bases on the day. The Gulls take Tuesday off before returning to the diamond on Wednesday for an 11:30 am showdown with Babson.
The Anchormen were first on the board after Dan Hopkins (Cranston, R.I.) hit an RBI single in the bottom half of the first inning.
The Gulls responded with three runs the following inning to take a 3-1 lead. Danny Mello (Peabody, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to lead off and proceeded to steal second base. One batter later Mike Griffin (Arlington, Mass.) reached base on an error, advancing Mello to third. Joe Klein (Monroe, Conn.) stepped up and hit an RBI single to score Mello before stealing second himself. A throwing error by the catcher scored Griffin from third base.
Hopkins’ solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning trimmed the lead to just one. Both teams went scoreless over the next two innings before the Gulls stretched the lead to four with a two-out rally in seventh.
RIC pitcher Mike DeWald (Hope Valley, R.I.) hit Chris Dominguez (Braintree, Mass.) with two outs and nobody on before issuing a free pass to reigning TCCC Player of the Week Colin Sitarz (West Hartford, Conn.). DeWald was pulled in favor of Josh Lynch (West Greenwich, R.I.), who proceeded to give up a double-steal and RBI single by Mello. With runners at the corners, another Gulls’ double-steal scored Sitarz. Freshman Jake Northrup (Boxborough, Mass.) belted an RBI double to cap the scoring and provide an all-important sixth run.
The Anchormen got a pair back on the bottom of the seventh before both sides went scoreless in the eighth.
Endicott left one standing in the top of the ninth and took a slim two-run lead into the final at-bats.
Junior Brent Hopkins (Cranston, R.I.) mirrored his brother with a solo home run to lead off the inning, prompting a pitching change for the Gulls. Freshman reliever Tyler Hill (Plymouth, N.H.) allowed a pair of runners to reach first base but picked off the first and closed the inning with a double-play to earn the save.
Tyler Hitchcock (Abington, Mass.) went six innings in the win, allowing four runs (three earned) and five hits while striking out five. DeWald went six and two-thirds, allowing five runs (three earned) and fanning six in the loss.
Dominguez finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored. The senior also accounted for three of Endicott’s eight stolen bases on the day. The Gulls take Tuesday off before returning to the diamond on Wednesday for an 11:30 am showdown with Babson.