BEVERLY, Mass. -- A complete game from junior pitcher Tyler Hitchcock (Abington, Mass.) and a five-run third inning propelled the Endicott baseball team to a 6-2 victory over Suffolk University, their 7th consecutive win dating back to last Monday afternoon.
Hitchcock went nine innings, out-dueling his counterpart, Rams sophomore Jonathan Richard (North Reading, Mass.), who also went the distance for his team.
Hitchcock allowed seven hits and two runs while striking out six batters and not issuing a walk, improving his record to 3-4 for the Gulls, who run their own record to 18-13.
Endicott took the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning with five runs, capped by a two-run triple by freshman Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass.). Oringer uncorked a rocket to deep center field that got over the head of Jhonneris Mendez (Boston, Mass.) and rolled to the wall, allowing Eric Lemke (Southington, Conn.) and Colin Sitarz (W. Hartford, Conn.) to cross the plate.
The Gulls had already plated three runs in the inning, loading the bases and getting consecutive RBI singles by Lemke and center fielder Tad Gold (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.), as well as an RBI fielder's choice from the first baseman Sitarz.
The Rams used two hits and a hit by pitch in the top of the second to load the bases for catcher Danny Gunn (Medford, Mass.), who brought in two runs with a single to left center. Chris Stanley (Placentia, Calif.), who had two hits on the day for Suffolk, scored on the play, along with right fielder Mike Cunningham (Syosset, N.Y.). However, that was all the offensive production that Suffolk would be able to muster against Hitchcock, who would buckle down and fire seven more innings of shutout ball.
Endicott got another run back in the bottom of the seventh inning. Left fielder Ralph Fidaleo (Fairfield, Conn.) led off the inning with a double to left field and then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly to left field by third baseman Danny Mello (Peabody, Mass.).
Right fielder Michael Russo (Natick, Mass.) was 2-3 for the Gulls and scored a run, while Fidaleo crossed the plate twice.
Richard, who fell to 0-3 with the loss, yielded six earned runs on eight hits, with two walks and two strikeouts to fill out his line. Neither team made a miscue on the afternoon.
Endicott will take to North Field again on Saturday afternoon for a single non-conference game with Brandeis, slated for 1:00 pm. The Gulls will travel Sunday to a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader with Curry (12:00 pm), toting a 9-3 conference mark.
Suffolk will return to Great Northeast Atlantic Conference (GNAC) action on Saturday with a doubleheader against Rivier in Boston, Mass. at 12:00 pm. The Rams hold a 7-5 GNAC record to go with their 13-20-1 mark overall.