Softball Drops Two On Day Four Of Spring Break Trip

LEESBURG, Fla. – The Endicott softball team fell to Bowdoin College (10-2, 6 inn.) and Trinity College (10-7) on Thursday afternoon at the NTC Spring Games.

GAME ONE: Bowdoin 10, Endicott 2 (6 inn.)

The Polar Bears earned their first win of the season (1-4) behind a six-inning, five strikeout performance from Emily Griffin (Tucson, Ariz.) and 11 hits from their offense. Griffin also scattered four hits and three free passes along with two unearned runs to move to 1-0 on the year.

Bowdoin scored solo runs in the first and third innings, three more in the fifth and an additional five in the sixth. The Polar Bears' five-run sixth inning was highlighted by a two-run single down the right field line by Samantha Valdivia (North Hills, Calif.), while their three-run fifth showcased a two-run ground rule double from Claire McCarthy (Mercer Island, Wash.).

Meanwhile, Endicott broke up the shutout in the bottom of the sixth on a Julia McNeill (Smithtown, N.Y.) RBI double to right center (10-1), and a fielding error (10-2).

Freshman Maggie Oram (Lexington, Mass.) received the loss (1-1) on 4 1/3 innings pitched, seven hits, five runs (all unearned), no walks, and one strikeout.

GAME TWO: Trinity 10, Endicott 7

Trinity freshman Lindsay Golia (North Branford, Conn.) picked up her first collegiate win on 6 1/3 innings, 11 hits, seven runs (three earned), two walks, and two punchouts. Cassia Armstrong (White Rock, British Columbia) notched her first save of the season as the junior closed out the final two outs of the game with back-to-back strikeouts with runners on second and third.

Rylie Strong (Arvada, Colo.) was dealt the loss over three innings, seven hits, six runs (four earned), two walks, and two strikeouts. Oram held the Bantams scoreless through the final 1 1/3 frames via one hit, no walks, and one punchout.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the second, Endicott freshman catcher Rachel Usen (Bolton, Mass.) roped a two-run triple to right field to make it 2-1 for her first collegiate hit. Usen's first career highlight didn't stop there, however, as the first-year eventually scampered home on the same play after noticing that time wasn't officially called on the field as the ball never entered the circle.

Trinity responded in the bottom half of the second with a solo run on a fielding error before the Bantams exploded for eight runs over the next three innings (3rd – 3 | 4th – 3 | 5th – 2) to close out the game.

Endicott four runs over the sixth and seventh to close the gap as Hayley Arduini (Southington, Conn.), Jamie Hopgood (Warwick, R.I.), Lexi Pederson (Chandler, Ariz.), and Olivia Odermatt (Cheshire, Conn.) all knocked in one run each over those innings.

NOTES

• All 12 runs in Endicott's game versus Bowdoin were unearned.
• Odermatt went 3-for-6 with two runs, two doubles and one RBI in both games today.
• Hopgood was 3-for-6 with one run, a double, and an RBI.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (4-4) plays Southwestern (Tex.) and Susquehanna at 9 AM and 11 AM, respectively, to wrap up its 2017 spring break trip. 

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(Photo Credit - Matt Connelly)