Endicott sweeps Babson in softball double dip

Beverly, Mass. – The Endicott softball claimed a pair of wins over non-conference opponent Babson on Friday afternoon, winning 7-2 and 11-7 to improve their record to 23-5 on the season. Babson dropped to 20-15 following the losses.

Boxscore

Endicott sophomore third baseman Jocelyn Russo (Middletown, Conn.) recorded a leadoff homerun to put the Gulls up 1-0 in the top of the first. Russo sent the Kelly King (Kennebunk, Maine) offering to straight-away centerfield for the game’s first run.

With two runners on base, Russo came up again in the bottom of the second inning and roped a single through the left side of the infield that scored sophomore Nicole Devlin (Dudley, Mass.) who had reached on a walk. The RBI single put Endicott up 2-0 on Babson.

After a leadoff walk to Ashley Wright (Merrimack, N.H.) in the bottom of the third, freshman shortstop Mattie Brett (Waterford, Conn.) connected for her fourth homerun of the season over the left field wall to push the Endicott lead up to 4-0. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, freshman Jesse Bilafer (Concord, Mass.) poked a line drive off the third baseman’s glove and two runners scored as the ball rolled into the outfield, putting the home team up 6-0. 

The Gulls added a sacrifice fly by Mattie Brett in the bottom of the fourth to take a 7-0 advantage.

Endicott pitcher Jenna Bortolotti (Milton, Mass.) held the Beavers hitless until the top of the fifth when with one out, junior Lisa Wojnar (Bellaire, Texas) bunted a single down the third base line to break up the no-hitter. Wojnar reached second base on a fielder’s choice groundout, then scored on a hard hit single through the pitcher’s legs by Sam Pilkington (Westborough, Mass.). The next hitter, leadoff batter Jackie Enos (Taunton, Mass.) went to the opposite field with a deep fly ball that landed at the base of the wall for a double to score Pilkington from first. Bortolotti got the next batter to groundout, but Babson had cut the lead to 7-2. 

That would be the only inning the Beavers would score as Bortolotti went scoreless through the final two innings to finish with 7.0 innings pitched, giving two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out three. She improved to 10-3 on the season.

Babson’s Sammy Kiley (Lynn, Mass.) came on in relief to go three innings, allowing just one run on three hits. Kiley struck out three Endicott batters. 

Endicott’s Ashley Wright and Nicole Devlin each swiped a bag in the game for the Gulls.

Boxscore

The Beavers threatened in the top of the first, putting runners on second and third with just one out, but Endicott pitcher Danielle LaRocque (Averill Park, N.Y.) forced groundouts to the pitcher and the second baseman to get out of the jam.

In the bottom of the first, Endicott got runners on second and third when Hayley Hovhanessian grounded a ball to the shortstop. The runner at third beat the throw to the plate to score the game’s first run. The next batter, Ashley Wright, roped a liner down the third base line to bring in freshman Jennie Lacolla (Stoneham, Mass.), giving the Gulls a 2-0 lead. 

Babson rallied in the second inning with three, two-out runs to take a 3-2 advantage. Sophomore Ashleigh Phelps (West Chester, Pa.) scored from third base on a wild pitch to get the Beavers their first run. The next batter, Katie Guido (Middleton, Mass.), singled and stole second base to get into scoring position. Jackie Enos hit a double to left center to score Guido and later scored herself on another double to left center by Jessica Pashos (Winchester, Mass.).

Endicott got the lead back on a two-out single to left center by Lacolla that scored the runners from second and third base, making the score 4-3 in favor of the Gulls.

Babson made the score 4-4 in the top of the third on an RBI single by Breezy DiPietro (Essex, Mass.) that scored Nicole Latini (East Bridgewater, Mass.).

Lacolla put the Gulls back on top with a double down the left field line, scoring Kelley Michael (Ipswich, Mass.) who had reached on a single to lead off the inning. 

Babson tied the game once again at 5-5 in the top of the fifth on a first and third situation where an errant throw by the Endicott catcher went into the outfield as the runner on first stole second, allowing Phelps to score from third.

Endicott regained the lead at 6-5 in the bottom of the fifth after Ashley Wright led off the inning with a double down the left field line to get into scoring position. Mattie Brett brought in Wright on the next play with an RBI single to center.

Babson responded with two runs in the top of the sixth to once again exchange the lead as two runs scored on a sacrifice fly by Nicole Latini and a passed ball.  

The Blue and Green scored five times in the bottom of the sixth to take a commanding 11-7 lead they would not relinquish. Lacolla had another RBI single, Brett knocked a two-run double and Byrne Katz (Trumbull, Conn.) added two more runs on single up the middle to solidify the Endicott lead. 

Endicott’s Kayla Carignan (Laconia, N.H.) earned the victory by pitching 1 1/3 innings.