Endicott soars past NEC in TCCC doubleheader
April 7, 2008
Game 1 Box Score - Game 2 Box Score
BEVERLY, Mass. - The Endicott College softball team swept New England College in a TCCC doubleheader on Monday at Endicott Softball Field in Beverly, Mass. The Gulls took the first game 7-1 before winning the second by way of the mercy rule, 8-0 in six innings.
The Pilgrims got off to an excellent start in game one, as four of the first five batters reached base. With NEC already up 1-0 and the bases loaded with only one out, senior pitcher Jenn Elwell (Tewksbury, Mass.) was able to retire the next two hitters and escape further damage.
The Gulls took over from that point on, scoring a run in every inning, including two in the fourth. Shortstop Jenna Lazar (Milton, Mass.) got things started in the bottom of the first, tying the game with a solo shot to left. Endicott eventually took the lead in the second, scoring a run on a passed ball. After an RBI single from catcher Meghan Sargent (Salisbury, Mass.) in the third, the Gulls scored two more in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead. The Blue and Green would tack on a run in each of the next two innings, including a solo home run from senior Rachel Pearson (Gales Ferry, Conn.), to take the first game by a score of 7-1.
Jenn Elwell went the distance for the win, scattering nine hits to allow just one run. Elwell struck out five batters while improving her season record to 5-3.
Jenna Lazar and Rachel Pearson both had home runs for the Gulls, while Danielle Sargent (Sabattus, Maine) reached base three times, going 1-2 with two walks, an RBI, and a run scored.
Freshman Bethany Forshaw took the loss for the Pilgrims, giving up seven runs on 11 hits over seven innings of work. The loss drops Forshaw to 1-6 on the season.
Endicott came out strong in the second game, jumping all over NEC starter Kristen Purdy (Candia, N.H.) in the first. Purdy got in trouble by walking the first two batters she faced. After the Gulls received RBI singles from Rachel Pearson and Meghan Sargent, freshman Ashley Wright (Merrimack, N.H.) smacked a grand slam to left field, putting Endicott ahead 6-0.
Working with a six-run cushion, Endicott starter Maria Mangine (Lockport, N.Y.) was in total control of the Pilgrim lineup. Mangine held NEC to just three hits over the first six innings, retiring the last 14 batters in a row.
In the bottom of the sixth, Danielle Sargent hit a single up the middle scoring two runs, and giving Endicott the win by way of the mercy rule, 8-0.
Mangine earned the win for the Gulls while tossing a complete game three-hit shutout. Maria has now thrown a complete game in all seven of her starts. The shutout was her third of the season, lowering her ERA to 0.93 with a perfect 7-0 record.
Ashley Wright led Endicott offensively, going 1-2 with a grand slam and a walk. Senior Rachel Pearson also contributed two hits, an RBI, and a run scored in the win.
Kristen Purdy took the loss for the Pilgrims going just one inning and allowing six runs. With the loss, Purdy falls to 1-3 on the season.
The sweep improves the Gulls record to 16-3 overall, and 8-2 in the TCCC. Endicott returns to action on Wednesday, hosting a doubleheader versus Anna Maria in Beverly, Mass. Game times are scheduled for 3:30 and 5:30 p.m.