Branch Named Top CCC Rookie for Second Straight Week

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – For the second consecutive week, freshman pitcher JJ Branch (Milford, Mass.) has been named the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) baseball Rookie of the Week. The awards were announced Monday afternoon by the conference office and commissioner Gregg M. Kaye.

Branch tossed six shutout innings of four-hit ball in a 7-0 victory over Gordon to close out a doubleheader sweep of the Gulls' CCC neighbor.  Branch scattered four singles, struck out a career-high six and did not walk a batter.  Only one opposing runner reached second base and that was the result of a passed ball.

For the season, the first-year righty has a 2-1 record and an earned run average of just 1.07 in 25.1 innings pitched.

The Gulls earned two sweeps this week, over Gordon and Wentworth, and improved their record to 18-10 overall and 7-1 in the CCC. Endicott has a pair of non-conference road games on Tuesday at Suffolk and on Wednesday at the University of Southern Maine. Both games are slated to start at 3:30 pm.