Leopards Take Two from Gulls
April 26, 2007
Box Score - Game One - Box Score - Game Two
BROOKLINE, MA - Using both a solid pitching performance and timely hitting, the Wentworth baseball team snapped a 13-game losing streak to Endicott by defeating the Gulls, 7-1, in the opening game of a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader, and completed the sweep with a 4-3 win in the nightcap which saw Endicott leave the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning. The win was Wentworth's first over Endicott since April 7, 2001.
Endicott looked like it was going to jump out early in the game as senior Erik Fields (Swampscott, MA/Swampscott) hit a one-out single up the middle and went to third when sophomore Brian Andersen (Grafton, MA/Grafton) hit a double down the left field line. However, the threat would end when senior Joe Orlando (Gloucester, MA/Gloucester) struck out and was thrown out trying to advance on the dropped third strike. On the throw, Fields broke for home, but was thrown out by freshman Chris Carbone (Goshen, CT).
The Leopards would get all of the offense they needed in the second inning when sophomore Phil Costello (Medford, MA) led off with a walk and went to second when Chris Carbone walked. Junior Jarrett Ament (Boylston, MA) laid down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw to first was wild, scoring Costello and placing Chris Carbone on third and Ament on second. After freshman Mo Gardner (Chagrin Falls, OH) walked to load the bases, classmate Matt Dannenhoffer (Bethany, CT) stroked a double down the right field line, which would clear the bases. Senior starter Ian Parkinson (Peabody, MA/Peabody) would get the next two batters out, but freshman Anthony Carbone (Goshen, CT) would reach on a two-base error, which plated Dannenhoffer and gave Wentworth a 5-0 advantage. Sophomore Nick Cunningham (Pembroke, MA) drove in Anthony Carbone with a single before a flyout ended the inning.
Wentworth would add another run in the third inning when Chris Carbone would reach on an infield single and move to second on a wild pitch. After two outs were recorded Dannenhoffer drove in his fourth run of the day with a single up the middle and increased the lead to 7-0.
Endicott tallied its lone run of the game in the fourth inning after Orlando drew a one-out walk and would score after the Leopards committed back-to-back errors. However, sophomore starter Aaron LaPlante (Charlestown, N.H.) got an inning-ending double play before any further damage could be done. The Gulls would leave a pair of runners in scoring position in the fifth inning, but could not produce any runs.
LaPlante improved to 5-1 on the season as he pitched five innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits, walking two, and striking out two. Freshman Matt Vezina (Uxbridge, MA) set down all six batters he faced over the final two innings. Offensively, Dannenhoffer was 2-for-3 with four RBI, while Chris Carbone was 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored.
Parkinson took the loss for the Gulls, falling to 3-2. He allowed seven runs (four earned) on five hits, while walking three and striking out five. Four different players recorded hits for Endicott, with Orlando scoring the lone run.
Endicott had its first chance of game two in the second inning, but would come up empty. Orlando led off with a single up the middle and went to third on a sophomore Ryan Scanlon (Lowell, MA/Lowell) double with one out. Senior Steve Vidmosko (Shelton, CT/Fairfield Prep) walked to load the bases, but rookie starter Chris Sandini (Upton, MA) got a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.
In the home half of the inning, the Leopards would take a 1-0 lead. Chris Carbone was hit by a pitch to open the inning and went to third on a one-out single by Gardner. Dannenhoffer grounded out to short, which would score Chris Carbone. In the third inning, Wentworth would add a run to go up 2-0 when Anthony Carbone hit a one-out single up the middle and stole second. He advanced to third on a Cunningham infield single and scored when Costello grounded into a fielder's choice.
After neither team scored over the next inning and a half, Wentworth would double its lead. Sophomore Mike Roberts (Chelmsford, MA) led off with a single up the middle and moved up 90 feet on a freshman Pete Oggeri (Sandy Hook, CT) sacrifice bunt. Anthony Carbone would reach on a fielder's choice when Roberts was thrown out at third, and he would score when Cunningham would hit an inside the park home run to the deepest part of the field.
The sixth inning saw the Gulls get a pair back as Andersen laced a one-out single up the middle and moved to second on a throwing error by Sandini. Endicott, which made many loud outs throughout the afternoon, would get a home run to left from Gomez, cutting the lead in half. Looking to gather some insurance, the Leopards went in order in the home half of the inning.
Vidmosko walked to open up the top of the seventh and, after a flyout, sophomore pinch-hitter Joe Paciello (Worcester, MA/St. Peter Marian) was hit by a pitch to place runners at first and second. Paciello was replaced by freshman pinch-runner Andrew Betts (Bristol, CT/Suffield Academy) and both Vidmosko and Betts would move up a base when freshman Aaron Santos (Cambridge, MA/Cushing Academy) drew a walk and ended Sandini's afternoon.
Freshman Scott Borges (Westport, Mass.) was brought in, but allowed a single to center to freshman Blake Wessel (Blue Hill, ME/George Steven Academy), which scored Vidmosko and made it a 4-3 game. However, the Gulls would leave runners on each base when Borges got Anderson to fly out to Dannenhoffer and struck out Orlando to end the game.
Sandini improves to 3-3 after allowing three runs on four hits, to go along with three walks and three strikeouts. Borges picks up his first save of his career in two-thirds of an inning of work. Cunningham finished the day 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Anthony Carbone scored a pair of runs.
Freshman Nick Kelley (Malden, MA/Madlen) took the loss (2-2), allowing four runs on five hits, walking one, and striking out five. Five different players tallied hits for the Gulls, including Gomez who was 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI.
Wentworth improves to 12-16 overall and 9-9 in CCC play. The Leopards close out the regular season at Salve Regina Saturday afternoon. Endicott falls to 13-17 (9-8) and hosts Roger Williams on Thursday afternoon at 4:00 PM.