Gulls Start Slowly but Finish Strong to Rally Past Wheaton
April 1, 2005
(Norton, MA) In the first four innings it looked as though the route was on. Wheaton pitcher Chris Martin allowed just one EC run through four innings while racking up seven strikeouts. On the other hand, the Wheaton bats were hot chasing Endicott starter, Mike Daggett, on eight hits and seven runs in just two-plus innings. After four complete innings, Wheaton held a 7-1 advantage.
Senior Jon Trowt relieved Daggett with no outs in the third and shut out Wheaton through the sixth. In that span Endicott closed the gap to 7-4. Junior Matt Bishop hit a 1-2 count, two-run home off starter Martin in the fifth. In the sixth, Brendan Tiani went all the way to second on an errant Wheaton throw to first to start the inning. Catcher Joe Orlando singled him to third and Tiani scored on Pat Vincent's fielder's choice.
Trowt started the seventh and got in trouble quickly. A double, hit batsman and a sacrifice bunt that became a hit loaded the bases with no outs. Jason Newham came in and got three quick fly balls to escape the inning with only one run scored.
With the score 8-4 in the eighth, Steve Vidmosko led off with a walk. Adam Labbe pinch ran for him. After a strike out and ground out, Labbe advanced to second with two outs. Pat Vincent picked up his second RBI with a sharp single to left scoring Labbe. Erik Fields and Gavin Softic both drew walks to load the bases as the inning continued. Matt Bishop drilled a double to deep center field clearing the bases and tying the game, while giving him five RBIs for the game.
Wheaton threatened in the bottom of the eighth as Pat O'Connor singled to start the inning. Rafael Castillo moved him up with a sacrifice. Newham got pinch hitter Jeff Martin to ground out but O'Connor went to third. Newham then hit a batter, Keith Cooper, making the situation dangerous: 1st and 3rd with two outs and \#4 hitter, Mark Baumer, up. Newham kept his composure and struck out Baumer looking at a curve.
In the ninth, Kowen Drake hit for Labbe and led off with a walk. Brendan Tiani sacrificed him to second. Dan Gomez hit for Joe Orlando and ripped a shot up the middle that looked like it would get through. However, Wheaton shortstop, Rafael Castillo, had him played perfectly and made the play look routine. Drake went to third. With two outs, Pat Vincent picked up his third, and game-winning RBI with his third single of the game.
Newham gave up a walk and single in the bottom of the ninth to set up another 1st and 3rd with two outs. And, just as he did in the eighth, he struck the hitter, Pat O'Connor, looking at a curve.
For the game Wheaton finished with eight runs on 12 hits and Endicott had nine runs on 13 hits. Wheaton had 14 fly ball outs, many of them deep and nine caught by centerfielder Brendan Tiani. The win improves Endicott to 7-3 and drops Wheaton, who is currently ranked \#24 nationally and \#3 in New England, to 7-4.