Gulls win a thriller in extra innings
March 18, 2008
OSCEOLA, Fla. - The Endicott College softball team came back to beat Utica College 5-4 Tuesday, scoring two runs in the bottom of the eighth at Osceola Park in Osceola, Fla.
The game was scoreless until the Gulls came to bat in the bottom of the third. Senior outfielder Paula McGinn (Lynn, Mass./Lynn Classical) got things started with a one-out walk. She immediately stole second, and later came around to score on a costly Pioneer error to give the Gulls a 1-0 lead.
Utica finally got to Endicott starter Jackie Collier (Swampscott, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) in the fifth, when Pioneer freshman Kristin Levine (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) smacked a two-out RBI single scoring Kimberlee Schultz (Valley Falls/Hoosic Valley Central) to tie the game at one. The Pioneers weren't finished yet, as Collier started struggling to find the plate, walking the next two hitters in the process. With the bases loaded, the Gulls went to the bullpen, bringing in ace Jenn Elwell (Tewksbury, Mass./Shawsheen Tech) to try and end the threat. It looked like the Gulls would get out of the inning without much damage when Amanda Butler (Utica, N.Y./T.R. Proctor) hit a grounder to second, but an Endicott error allowed two runs to score, giving Utica a 3-1 lead.
The Gulls battled back in the bottom of the sixth, as senior Rachel Pearson (Gales Ferry, Conn./Ledyard) led off with a single, and was followed by sophomore Maria Mangine (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport), who doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs. After a ground ball from Casey Shanley (Billerica, Mass./Billerica) drove in a run, the Gulls tied the game at 3-all when the Utica outfield misplayed a fly ball hit by freshman Jill Wiseman (Holden, Mass./Wachusett Regional).
With the game still tied at three, the game went into extra innings, where both teams begin each inning with a runner on second base. Utica immediately sacrificed the runner to third with one out. Junior Rinae Olsen (Schenectady, N.Y./Schalmont) then came through with the go ahead single, giving the Pioneers a 4-3 lead. Jenn Elwell would keep it a one-run ballgame, giving Endicott a chance in the bottom half of the eighth.
Starting with a runner on second the Gulls also decided to sacrifice the tying run to third. From there, the Pioneer defense gave way. After back-to-back errors allowed the Gulls to tie the game, the Pioneers committed a third consecutive error, allowing freshman Ashley Wright (Merrimack, N.H./Trinity) to come home with the winning run, giving Endicott the 5-4 victory.
Jenn Elwell earned the win, improving her record to 3-1. She pitched well in her first relief appearance of the season, giving up one run on two hits over 3 1/3 innings. Rachel Pearson and Maria Mangine both had two hits in three at-bats to lead the Gulls offensive attack.
Junior Andrea Curley (South Glen Falls/South Glen Falls) took the loss, dropping her record to 0-1 on the season. She gave up five runs on seven hits over 7 1/3 innings.
The Gulls will play again Wednesday taking on Macalester at 1 p.m. and Trinity at 5 p.m. at Osceola Park in Osceola, Fla.