AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Endicott baseball team continued their spring break trip to Florida but dropped their only game on Thursday, 8-5 to the Owls of Keene State College. The Gulls fell behind 8-0, then found a bit of a batting stroke, though it wasn't enough to undo Keene State's early slugging.
Tad Gold (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.) smacked a three-run homer in the fifth inning, in which the Gulls got four runs to cut the Keene State deficit in half. The Gulls got a single run back in the eighth on a double by Michael Russo (Natick, Mass.) and a sacrifice fly by Kyle Kromberg (Newtown, Conn.), but could not complete the comeback.
Endicott started the fifth inning with a single by EJ Martinez (Brooklyn, N.Y.). After two fly-outs to center field, the Gulls got singles from designated hitter Eric Lemke (Soutington, Conn.) and first baseman Colin Sitarz (West Hartford, Conn.) to bring Martinez in before Gold emptied the bases with his first home-run and fifth, sixth and seventh RBIs of the season.
The Owls came out of the gate swinging and scored four runs in the top of the first. Third baseman Greg Bates (Salem, N.H.), who scored twice on the day, opened the game with a single and came around to score on a double by right fielder Erik Bergstrom (Enfield, Conn.). The Owls then loaded the bases and Nick Vita (Spofford, N.H.) drew an RBI walk to double their advantage. With two outs, shortstop Tanner Chase (York, Maine) singled home two more runs to open the gap to 4-0 in favor of the Owls.
Bates singled again in the second inning then scored via the benefit of two wild pitches. Keene State added to their lead in the fourth inning with three runs on five of their fourteen hits in the game. Vita and Chase each picked up another RBI with a single, while designated hitter Peter Burgio (Bolton, Conn.) doubled home Kyle Morrill (Auburn, N.H.), who had led off the inning with a single and then stole second and third base.
For the Gulls, Gold was 2-3 on the afternoon and Martinez went 2-4, the only hitters with multiple hit days for the Gulls, who pounded nine hits in the game. Lemke, Sitarz, Martinez and Russo each scored runs for Endicott.
Chase, Morrill and Burgio all had 3-5 days to lead Keene State, who improves to 7-4.
Endicott starter Michael Griffin (Arlington, Mass.) lasted just one inning, allowing five runs on six hits with two walks and a strikeout. Andrew Millard (New Milford, Conn.) pitched two and two-thirds of scoreless relief for Endicott, collecting three strikeouts.
Chris Crutcher (Londonderry, N.H.) went five and two-thirds innings to earn the victory for Keene State. Crutcher allowed four runs on seven hits, while Kyle O'Brien (Springfield, N.H.) pitched the final three and a third innings, allowing just the one run and two base knocks and earns a save for his efforts.
The Gulls will take the field tomorrow afternoon for a double header against the Amcats of Anna Maria College. The first pitch will be thrown at 3:00 pm in Auburndale.
Keene State will continue their trip to Florida with a 3:30 pm game tomorrow against St. Joe's Maine.