AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Endicott baseball team, after winning their season opener over Keene State, split a pair of games at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational by beating New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) opponent Trinity (Conn.) 5-2 during the day followed by a tough 18-4 loss to New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) foe William Paterson.
The Gulls (2-1), recently ranked #28 according to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), continue their spring break schedule on Thursday, March 20th with a game against Ramapo at 4:00 pm in Auburdale at Lake Myrtle Park. Endicott is 1-1 all-time against Ramapo with their most recent meeting coming in 2010, an 11-9 victory for the Blue and Green at RussMatt. Ramapo is currently 4-1 overall.
Game One: Endicott 5, Trinity (Conn.) 2
Behind 7 2/3 innings from freshman pitcher Luke Morse (Westford, Mass.) and two RBIs from sophomore shortstop Cody Hall (Rutland, Mass.), Endicott grinded out a 5-2 win over the Bantams in an afternoon game at Lake Myrtle Park. Morse made his collegiate debut and allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five batters. Hall used a RBI-groundout in the bottom of the second to score Steve Morganelli(Milford, Mass.) to put Endicott ahead 3-0 and later added a RBI single to cap off a two-run bottom of the sixth to put the Gulls on top 5-1.
Endicott jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first as freshman outfielder Cam Farnham (Andover, Mass.) walked, stole second, advanced to third on an error, and crossed home on a RBI single off the bat of senior first baseman Brett Holmgren (Middleboro, Mass.). Holmgren later scored on a wild pitch.
With a 3-0 lead after Hall's RBI groundout, Trinity got on the board on a sacrifice fly to center by sophomore Scott Cullinane (East Greenwich, R.I.). After the Gulls tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth, the Bantams scored their final run in the top of the eight on a double by Daniel Pidgeon (Darien, Conn.) that plated Scott Huley (Greenwich, Conn.).
Gulls senior Tyler Hill (Las Vegas, Nev.) came on in relief of Morse in the eighth inning and hit a batter, but escaped a jam with a strikeout to end the inning. Senior Connor McLaughlin (Clinton, Mass.) got the final three outs, getting the final out with runners on second and third, to earn his first save of the season.
Game Two: Endicott 4, William Paterson 18
The Gulls suffered their first loss of the season against a William Paterson lineup that produced 18 runs on 23 team hits and a Pioneers pitching staff that held last season's Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) highest scoring offense to just four runs. Endicott junior second baseman Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass.) led his squad with a 3-for-4 day at the plate which included a RBI single in the fifth and a RBI triple in the eighth.
Sophomore Davarn Nova (Wareham, Mass.) took the mound for Endicott but allowed five earned runs on nine hits and two walks over four innings of work to take the loss. Nova did manage to strikeout five batters in his season debut. Six pitchers were called out of the bullpen by head coach Bryan Haley with Hill and Morganelli shutting down William Paterson batsmen.
Hall knocked in his third runner of the day on the top of the sixth against the Pioneers, roping a single to right to score senior Tad Gold (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.).
William Paterson had four players with multiple RBIs with AJ Flores (West Orange, N.J.) and Trevor Haughney (Old Bridge, N.J.) recording four RBIs apiece. Brad Pevny (West Milford, N.J.) and K.C. Abel (Wayne, N.J.) chipped in with three and two RBIs for the victors.
On the mound for the Pioneers, senior Anthony DeEsposito (Ridgefield, N.J.) earned the win by hurling six innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits and two walks with three punch outs.