Endicott Splits With Eastern Nazarene
April 7, 2004
(Beverly, MA) Endicott touched up the CCC's leading pitcher for 6 runs in four innings and cruised to an 11-4 four victory in the first game of a double header. However, Eastern got even with the Gulls by scoring in the top of the seventh to win the nightcap 3-2.
Coming into game one, Nazarene pitcher, Jason McPhearson, was 3-1 and leading the league in ERA at 1.21. However the Gulls tagged him for eight hits and six runs before he was removed to start the 4th. Endicott struck early by scoring two in the bottom of the first. A Stephen Vidmosko walk followed by a Dave Babiarz single set the table for Greg Allain. He singled in Vidmosko and Babiarz went to third. Then on a delayed double steal, Allain took second and Babiarz scored.
Endicott opened the third inning with five straight singles by Vidmosko, Babiarz, Allain, Matt Bishop and Kevin Donahue. Donahue's single scored two of the four runs that Endicott scored in the inning.
McPhearson was replaced by Matt Haringa in the fourth inning and Endicott greeted him with four runs. The top five in the order scored all 11 runs and Vidmosko and Babiarz each scored three. Babiarz led the 16-hit attack by going 4 for 4.
Greg Allain upped his record to 4-1 with five innings of one-run ball. He allowed an unearned run in the fifth and had four strike outs and no walks on the day. Derek Gartner pitched a scoreless sixth and Chris Serrano pitched the seventh.
In game two, Endicott's Mike Daggett and Eastern Naz's Brad Mountain dueled in a low-scoring affair. After three hitless innings, EC got on the board in the bottom of the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. Mountain walked Vidmosko and Babiarz to start the inning. Bishop singled to left but too hard to score Vidmosko. With the bases loaded, Pete Norke had clutch two-run single to left.
Endicott threatened to get more in the fifth when Pat Vincent's infield single was made into a double on a throwing error by the shortstop. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and was there with no outs. However, after a popup, failed safety squeeze, and ground ball out, he was stranded.
Meanwhile, EC's Mike Daggett was pitching scoreless ball through five innings. He got out of a jam in the second but otherwise was cruising. Trouble came in the sixth. He gave up a walk and single to start the inning. After a strike out he allowed two run double. Ian McCarthy came in and got the next two outs to keep it 2-2 after 5 1/2 innings.
In the seventh, Eastern Naz singled to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt moved him up. After a pop out, an infield single put runners on 1st and 3rd. McCarthy then threw a wild pitch to allow the winning run to score before retiring the side on a ground ball to first. The run made McCarthy the losing pitcher.
The split makes Endicott 12-11 and 7-3 in CCC play and Eastern Nazarene is 13-7 and 5-4 in CCC play.