Gulls' CCC Tournament Run Ends In 6-5 Loss To Roger Williams; Gikas 100th Career Hit

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The No. 2 seed Endicott softball team saw its Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament run come to an end in Game 10 at the hands of No. 5 Roger Williams, 6-5, after holding a three-run lead heading into the seventh inning of an elimination-game Thursday afternoon at Judy Groff Field.

The Gulls eliminated fourth-seeded UNE earlier in the day, 6-1, while Roger Williams downed sixth-seeded Eastern Nazarene, 7-2, to make it to Game 10 in the tournament.

GAME 1 – Endicott 6, University of New England 1 | @ WNE: Golden Bear Softball Park

The second-seeded Gulls led 5-0 after two innings as they picked up two runs in the first and three in the second, highlighted by senior catcher Emily Hoffman's (Malden, Mass.one-out RBI double to left center field to plate sophomore center fielder Casie Beauchemin (Lincoln, R.I.) with the game's first run.

Endicott's next four runs all scored with two outs as junior right fielder Julia McNeill's (Smithtown, N.Y.) single to center brought in Hoffman (first inning).

The Gulls' three-run second inning came courtesy of five hits, including RBI singles from junior second baseman Chrissy Gikas (Danvers, Mass.) via a bunt, Hoffman, and senior left fielder Jamie Corda (Higganum, Conn.) to drive home senior third baseman Samantha DiBella (Danvers, Mass.), Beauchmein, and Gikas, respectively.

The fourth-seeded Nor'easters managed to erase the zero on the scoreboard as junior right fielder Sydney Helmbrecht (Grand Rapids, Minn.) came around to score from second base as senior Abby Lambert (Brockton, Mass.) reached base on a throwing error in the third inning.

Endicott added an insurance run in the sixth (two outs) when sophomore shortstop Kayla Sheldon (Burlington, Mass.) crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Senior pitcher Courtney Blake (East Islip, N.Y.) improved to 12-8 on the season in the circle as she tossed a complete-game, three-hitter with one walk and four strikeouts and allowed one run.
• Beauchemin's four hits set a new career-high for hits in a single game, as her previous mark of three also came this season against UNE on April 9th.
• Hoffman extended her team-leading extra-base hits total to 14 on the season as she smacked two doubles and drove in two runs in her 3-for-3 effort at the dish, in addition to scoring one run.
• Seven of the nine batters in Endicott's lineup registered at least one hit.

FOR THE FOES

• Junior pitcher Katelyn Austin (Bethlehem, N.H.) was charged with the loss (9-5) as she went two innings and surrendered five runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out one, before being replaced by freshman Melissa Sprague (Londonderry, N.H).
• Sprague pitched four innings of relief in which she gave up one run on four hits, issued two walks and recorded one strikeout.
• Sophomore shortstop Lauren Jones (Barrington, N.H.) paced the squad with two of the team's three hits.

GAME 2 – Roger Williams 6, Endicott 5 | @ American International College: Judy Groff Field

The fifth-seeded Hawks struck first with an RBI single from freshman catcher Micaela Pohl (Middleboro, Mass.) to plate junior second baseman Meredith Moise (North Reading, Mass.), before second-seeded Endicott got an RBI single off the bat of Corda to score Hoffman.

McNeill's two-run blast gave the Gulls a 3-1 lead at the end of the first inning as Endicott scored all of its runs with two outs in the frame.

Endicott added another run with two outs in the third inning as sophomore shortstop Danielle Stratton (Agawam, Mass.) dashed home on a wild pitch.

Moise led off the fourth with a solo shot to left field to cut the Hawks' deficit to 4-2 in favor of the Gulls.

Endicott tacked on one more run in the fifth when sophomore first baseman Margaret Martzolf's (Port Saint Lucie, Fla.) single found its way through the left side, allowing McNeill to score from third base to round out the scoring for the Gulls.

Endicott took a 5-2 lead into the seventh to what the Gulls hoped would be needing just three outs to move on to the next round, but junior designated player Julianne Vesce (Mahwah, N.J.) reached on an error to begin the inning and was pinch-ran for by freshman Sarah Doe (East Berkshire, Vt.).

Sophomore right fielder Valerie Moran (Syosset, N.Y.) doubled to left center which moved Doe to third to incite a pitching change.

With a runners on second and third and no outs in the top of the seventh, freshman pitcher Laura Somerville (Suffield, Conn.) was lifted for Blake.

Sophomore pinch-hitter Mary Adametz (Higganum, Conn.) reached first on a dropped infield pop-up that scored Vesce, before an infield single by senior center fielder Taylor Messier (Cranston, R.I.) loaded the bases, still with nobody out and the Hawks now trailing 5-3.

Moise's groundout to the shortstop was good enough to bring home Moran, followed by sophomore shortstop Haley Ledbetter's (Westerly, R.I.) RBI single to left field scoring junior left fielder Alicia McCauley (North Reading, Mass.) with the tying run.

With runners on first and third and one out, Pohl grounded out to the pitcher, but Messier was able to score the eventual winning run as Ledbetter was also out at third on the play to end the inning.

Endicott went down in order with 5-6-7 at the plate to end the Gulls' 2016 campaign and Roger Williams lives to see another day in what has already been a wild 2016 CCC Tournament.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Somerville was handed a no decision through six plus innings pitched (7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K).
• Blake suffered the loss (12-9) in relief as she allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits in the defeat.
• McNeill homered for the second time this season (second career HR) and paced the Gulls with a three-hit showing (two extra-base hits: double, HR) to go with two RBIs and two runs scored.
• The Gulls had back-to-back games with at least 12 hits for the second time this season (12/13 at Curry on April 19th).
• Gikas tallied her 100th career hit as she went 1-for-4 in the game.

FOR THE FOES

• Senior captain Meghan Maliga (Suffield, Conn.) improved to 13-9 on the season as she came on in relief of freshman Juliet Hulme (Duxbury, Mass.) and pitched five innings in which she surrendered just one run on eight hits.
• Hulme lasted two innings in the circle as she was tagged with four runs (three earned) on four hits.
• Moise led the Hawks with a 2-for-4 day (one homer) with two RBIs and scored two runs.
• Pohl went 2-for-4 with two RBIs as she drove in the Hawks' first and final runs of the day.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (22-16) and UNE (25-15) saw their seasons come to a close, while Roger Williams (23-18) moves on to face top-seeded Western New England (23-17) in an elimination-game Saturday, May 7th at a time to be determined. The winner of that game will face No. 3 Salve Regina (23-16) in the CCC Championship later that day. 

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2016 CCC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Dates and times subject to change 

PLAY-IN PHASE

Saturday, April 30

Game 1 -  #5 Roger Williams 8, #8 Gordon 0 (5 inn.)
Game 2 - #6 Eastern Nazarene 7, #7 Nichols 4 (10 inn.)

DOUBLE-ELIMINATION PHASE

Tuesday, May 3 

Game 3 - #5 Roger Williams 3, #4 UNE 2 (9 inn.)
Game 4 - #6 Eastern Nazarene vs. #3 Salve Regina 8, #6 Eastern Nazarene 0 (5 inn.)
Game 5 - #1 Western New England 1, #5 Roger Williams 0 (10 inn.)
Game 6 - #3 Salve Regina 5, #2 Endicott 4

Thursday, May 5

Game 7 - #2 Endicott 6 , #4 UNE 1
Game 8 - #5 Roger Williams 7, #6 Eastern Nazarene 2
Game 9 - #3 Salve Regina 7, #1 Western New England 0
Game 10 - #5 Roger Williams 6, #2 Endicott 5

Saturday, May 7

Game 11 - #5 Roger Williams vs. #1 Western New England (at WNE), TBD
Game 12 - Game 11 Winner vs. #3 Salve Regina (at WNE), TBD**
Game 13 - If Necessary, TBD**

** Games 12 and 13 may not start earlier than the published start time, but may start later if the previous game runs long.