Gulls Take Two from Nichols, Improve to 11-1 in CCC

BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott limited Nichols to one run on six hits over fourteen innings Friday afternoon at North Field, as the Gulls swept the Bison to improve to 21-11 and stay at the top of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) baseball standings with an 11-1 mark.

The Gulls, who posted their fifth consecutive 20-win season, took game one 9-0 and then won 13-1 in the second contest, to drop Nichols to 5-25 on the year (1-11 CCC).

Game 1: Endicott 9, Nichols 0

Senior Brendan Pittsley (Plympton, Mass.) tossed five innings of shutout baseball, allowing just three hits and no walks and striking out nine batters.

The Gulls rapped out 13 hits and took advantage of 3 Nichols errors, scoring runs in all but one inning. The biggest blows came in the second and third innings, as Endicott put three runs on the board in each frame.

Catcher EJ Martinez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added to his team-high RBI total with three runs batted in on two hits and a bases loaded walk in the third after a hard fought at-bat in which he fouled off five straight pitches. Martinez now has 23 runs batted in on the year.

Left fielder Colin Sitarz (W. Hartford, Conn.) and designated hitter Eric Lemke (Southington, Conn.) each scored twice, while Conor Ressel (Rockport, Mass.), Tad Gold (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.), and Matthew Paola (Middlebury, Conn.) each had two hits and an RBI, with Gold and Paola scoring runs as well.

First baseman Brett Holmgren (Middleboro, Mass.) singled up the middle in the first to score Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass.) and get the Gulls on the board. Gold delivered one of two big hits in the second, tripling just inside the left field line to score Lemke, and then crossed the plate on a hit up the middle that Martinez legged out for a double.

Lemke added another RBI single in the third and the Gulls loaded the bases before Martinez walked and Cody Hall (Rutland, Mass.) added a sacrifice fly to center.

An RBI double to left center by Paola in the fourth and an infield single by Martinez in the sixth provided the other two runs for the Gulls.

Nichols had no player in their lineup with more than one hit in the game, and designated hitter Joseph Nicolace (Cranston, R.I.) provided the only pop with a double in the top of the fourth.

Endicott seniors Michael Griffin (Arlington, Mass.) and Robert Goldstick (Deerfield, Ill.) threw an inning each of scoreless relief and combined for four strikeouts, with Griffin striking out the side in a perfect sixth.

Visiting starter Tyler Shute (Mashpee, Mass.) dropped to 0-6 on the season, allowing eight runs on ten hits over four innings of work. Shute walked two batters and did not record a strikeout, but was hurt by the Bison's miscues, as only four of his runs were earned.

Game 2: Endicott 13, Nichols 1

Freshman JJ Branch (Milford, Mass.) continued Endicott's strong pitching performances on the day, as he tossed four innings and allowed just one earned run on two hits and a walk, while striking out three batters. Branch improved to 3-1 on the year and lowered his ERA to 0.92.

Oringer went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and three runs batted in as Endicott again scored in each inning except for the bottom of the fifth.

This time they wasted no time posting big numbers, with four runs in each of the first two innings and three runs in the third.

Ressel and Sitarz, who each scored twice, provided the first punch, with Ressel leading off the game with a single and Sitarz driving him and Oringer in with a double to right center. Paola singled home Holmgren as the first five batters in the opening frame reached base safely for the Gulls, an inning that featured one of two more errors for the Bison.

Lemke added a two-run double in the second and Oringer did the same in the third before he crossed the plate on a two-bagger off the bat of Holmgren, as Endicott pounded four doubles and a triple in the game.

The Bison finally got themselves on the scoreboard in the fourth with an unearned run, as Nicolace again doubled to score Cody Jankins (West Brookfield, Mass.), who had reached on an error.

The Gulls got that run back in the bottom of the frame when Ressel singled home Martinez, who also crossed the plate twice in a 2-for-3 showing in the second game, which included a stand-up triple to lead off the bottom of the third.

Pinch hitter Steve Morganelli (Milford, Mass.) added a single to the shortstop in the sixth to plate Michael Cahill (Plymouth, Mass.), who had taken a walk on four pitches.

Freshman Ryan McLane (Wallingford, Conn.) lasted just an inning and a third, surrendering eight earned runs on five hits and four walks with just one strikeout. McLane falls to 1-4 on the year for the Bison.

The Gulls will continue their CCC play on Sunday afternoon with another home double-header, this time against the Colonels of Curry. First pitch will be at 12:00 pm.

Nichols is set to travel to Eastern Nazarene for their second CCC contest of the weekend on Saturday.