Softball splits with Western New England; Endicott takes first CCC loss

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott softball team hosted Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) rival Western New England for two league games on Thursday afternoon, taking game one behind junior pitcher Nell O'Connor's (Harwich, Mass.) eighth straight win in the circle as the starter and a three-run blast to left by junior shortstop Kelley Michael (Ipswich, Mass.) before dropping their first CCC game of the season in game two. 

Endicott matches up with Roger Williams, the second ranked team in the standings, on Saturday, April 20^th for a doubleheader starting at 12:00 pm in Bristol, Rhode Island.  The Golden Bears are off Saturday and will host Roger Williams on Sunday at 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm.

Game One: Endicott 4, Western New England 2

The Blue and Green scored all of their runs in a four-run bottom of the third off Western New England starter Heidi Grieger (Hyde Park, N.Y.).  Endicott senior Jocelyn Russo (Middletown, Conn.) led off the inning with a single to center, then was pushed up to second base on a sacrifice bunt by junior Jesse Bilafer (Concord, Mass.).  Senior catcher Krista Fales (Melrose, Mass.) laced a RBI single to right center to plate Russo and put the Gulls ahead 1-0.

Senior first baseman Colleen Martin (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) singled to put two runners on, and after a groundout, Michael connected on a 2-0 offering from Grieger and put the ball over the left field fence to make it 4-0 Endicott. 

O'Connor cruised through the next three innings until the top of the seventh when Western New England was able to score two runs to end O'Connor's streak of 38 1/3 innings of scoreless pitching against CCC opponents.  With one out, junior Katie Eckert (Lee, Mass.) singled and freshman Heather Fecteau (Biddeford, Maine) doubled to put two runners in scoring position.  Freshman outfielder Alexis Bukowski (Wallingford, Conn.) hit a single into the gap in right center to bring home both base runners. 

O'Connor settled down and retired the final two batters on a fly out to left in foul territory and a groundout to Michael at short to end the game.  O'Connor improved to 8-2 on the season, hurling a complete game and allowing two runs on nine hits, no walks, and three strikeouts.

Grieger (2-4) took the loss but Golden Bears freshman Leah Torre (Guilford, Conn.) pitched well in relief, going three shutout innings. 

Game Two: Endicott 2, Western New England 5

Endicott dropped their first conference game of the season, ending their 13-game winning streak to start the season against CCC opponents, with a 5-2 loss to the Golden Bears in game two.

Western New England saw sophomore pitcher Lauren Zambrano (Wallingford, Conn.) pitched a complete game, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits and three walks.  Zambrano improved to 14-4 on the season.

Endicott took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Michael hit a deep fly out to right field which brought home Fales from third base for her 16^th RBI this spring.

In the top of the fifth, after Golden Bears sophomore Hannah Hill (Malden, Mass.) doubled to left center to score Avery Clark (Mystic, Conn.), Western New England took advantage of two Endicott errors that allowed two more runs to score.  One inning later, Hill's dribbler to the pitcher allowed sophomore Gillian Kucharski (Avon, Conn.) to score and junior Maria Francese (Hinsdale, Mass.) roped a RBI single to left to stretch the lead to 5-1 Western New England.

Endicott was able to get one run back in the bottom of the sixth on a passed ball that allowed Fales to score from third, but 5-2 would be as close as the Gulls would get. 

Gulls sophomore Cameron Sprague (Clifton Park, N.Y.) took the loss to fall to 3-6 despite a strong effort,  going 5 1/3 innings, allowing only two earned runs on five hits, no walks, with three strikeouts.  Freshman Courtney Blake (East Islip, N.Y.) came on in relief and pitched effectively in the final 1 2/3 innings.