CCC TOURNAMENT: No. 4 Endicott Tops No. 8 Gordon, 8-3

NEWPORT, R.I. – The fourth-seeded Endicott softball team defeated eighth-seeded Gordon, 8-3, in game three of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Toppa Field, hosted by first-seeded Salve Regina University.

Laura Somerville (Suffield, Conn.) earned the win (9-4) for the Gulls on seven innings pitched, nine hits, three runs (two earned), one walk, and a game-high eight strikeouts. Meanwhile, Caitlin Catalanotto (Kingston, N.H.) took the loss (12-6) through six innings of work, 11 hits, eight runs (all earned), four free passes, and five punchouts.

Leading 2-1 in the third, KK Palmerino (Glenmont, N.Y.) pushed Endicott ahead 4-1 with a two-out, two-run single to right field. Emily Sharpe (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) went on to add an insurance run in the fourth with an RBI base hit to right field before the Gulls eventually tacked on two more runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to lock up the win.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Palmerino went 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead the Gulls offensively. Palmerino brought home the first run of the game in the second with a perfectly execute squeeze play prior to her two-run single in the third.
• Danielle Stratton (Agawam, Mass.) made it 6-2 in the fifth with an infield single down the third base line, while Margaret Martzolf (Port Saint Lucie, Fla.) concluded the scoring in the frame with a sacrifice fly to left field.
• Stratton wrapped up the afternoon with a 2-for-2 showing at the plate, alongside a season-high three runs scored and one RBI.
• Jamie Hopgood (Warwick, R.I.) jump-started Endicott in the fifth with a leadoff triple to right-center. Hopgood finished her day at the plate 2-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI, which came on an infield single to short in the sixth.
• Lindsee Allienello (East Providence, R.I.) put Endicott ahead 2-0 in the second with a sacrifice bunt RBI.
• Julia McNeill (Smithtown, N.Y.) reached base safely in every single plate appearance from the leadoff spot (2-for-2, one double, two runs scored, two walks).

FOR THE FOES

• Carleigh Peterson (North Hills, Calif.) cut into Gordon's deficit at 2-1 with an RBI double to left field in the third.
• The Fighting Scots scored their only other run in the fifth on a fielding error.
• Peterson also roped a ground-rule double to right field in the seventh to make it an 8-3 contest. She finished the day going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.
• Laura Bieren (Groton, Mass.) was 3-for-3 (all singles) from the leadoff spot.
• Meagan Jenkerson (McDonough, Ga.) and Emily Kline (Park Ridge, N.J.) also compiled multi-hit games in the loss.

WHAT'S NEXT

Fourth-seeded Endicott (21-14) will take on first-seeded Salve Regina (22-11) in game five of the CCC Tournament at Toppa Field at approximately 3:00 PM. Gordon (15-21) will return to action next Friday, May 5 in the losers bracket of the double elimination format against an opponent to be determined later. 

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