Seventh inning rally sends Endicott into ECAC Semifinals; Gulls 5, Worcester State 4
May 11, 2012
Box Score
BEVERLY, Mass. – Junior Colleen Martin (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) connected on a two-out, three-run blast to deep right centerfield in the bottom of the seventh to tie Worcester State 4-4 in the ECAC Division III New England Quarterfinals, part of a four-run rally that lifted the Gulls to a 5-4 win over the Lancers on Friday afternoon.
Two batters later after Martin’s game-tying homerun, junior catcher Krista Fales (Melrose, Mass.) roped a base hit to left center that trickled under the glove of the Worcester State centefielder, allowing Nicole Devlin (Dudley, Mass.) to advanced from third to home for the walk-off run. Devlin had walked to reach first base after the Martin at bat.
Endicott’s victory sends them into the ECAC Semifinals where they will meet either \#2 Salve Regina or \#7 Simmons at 12:00 pm on Saturday at Brandeis University. Brandeis is the top seed and the host for the remainder of the tournament this weekend.
The Gulls spoiled a quality outing by Lancer junior Hannah Everson (Methuen, Mass.) who was in line for her 15th win of the season until Endicott’s two-out rally. Everson (14-8) ended up allowing five runs, four earned, on 10 hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings pitched.
Everson’ counterpart, Gulls sophomore Nell O’Connor (Harwich, Mass.), earned the complete game victory after allowing four runs in seven innings with four strikeouts. All four runs charged against O’Connor were unearned. She improved to 9-6 on the season.
After a scoreless top of the first, Endicott got on the board first on a leadoff homerun to deep left by junior Jocelyn Russo (Middletown, Conn.), her first long ball of the season. Russo was Endicott’s most efficient batter on the day as she went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a RBI.
O’Connor set the Lancers down in the second and third innings before allowing a single run in the top of the fourth. An error allowed Worcester State junior Aimee Lamoureux (East Brookfield, Mass.) to reach base with one out. A single to right by Ashley Howe (Winchendon, Mass.) pushed the runner along to third and Everson helped her own cause with an RBI groundout to tie the game.
Worcester State took the lead in the next inning on another infield groundout to score a runner from third base Lauren Besozzi (Milford, Mass.) hit an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. A passed ball allowed Besozzi to reach third before Hassett’s groundout to short brought her home.
In the bottom of the fifth with the Gulls trailing 2-1, Endicott loaded the bases with two outs after sophomore Jesse Bilafer (Concord, Mass.) legged out an infield single to short. Martin stepped to the plate and on the first pitch sent a laser beam line drive right at the centerfielder who made the catch to end the threat.
The Lancers would score twice in the top of the sixth, courtesy of two costly infield errors by the Gulls to take a 4-1 lead. An errant throw after a sharp grounder to third allowed Besozzi and Erica Cordio (Leominster, Mass.) to round the bases for Worcester State.
Endicott rebounded, however, in the bottom of the seventh with their two-out comeback to keep their ECAC New England Championship hopes alive.
BEVERLY, Mass. – Junior Colleen Martin (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) connected on a two-out, three-run blast to deep right centerfield in the bottom of the seventh to tie Worcester State 4-4 in the ECAC Division III New England Quarterfinals, part of a four-run rally that lifted the Gulls to a 5-4 win over the Lancers on Friday afternoon.
Two batters later after Martin’s game-tying homerun, junior catcher Krista Fales (Melrose, Mass.) roped a base hit to left center that trickled under the glove of the Worcester State centefielder, allowing Nicole Devlin (Dudley, Mass.) to advanced from third to home for the walk-off run. Devlin had walked to reach first base after the Martin at bat.
Endicott’s victory sends them into the ECAC Semifinals where they will meet either \#2 Salve Regina or \#7 Simmons at 12:00 pm on Saturday at Brandeis University. Brandeis is the top seed and the host for the remainder of the tournament this weekend.
The Gulls spoiled a quality outing by Lancer junior Hannah Everson (Methuen, Mass.) who was in line for her 15th win of the season until Endicott’s two-out rally. Everson (14-8) ended up allowing five runs, four earned, on 10 hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings pitched.
Everson’ counterpart, Gulls sophomore Nell O’Connor (Harwich, Mass.), earned the complete game victory after allowing four runs in seven innings with four strikeouts. All four runs charged against O’Connor were unearned. She improved to 9-6 on the season.
After a scoreless top of the first, Endicott got on the board first on a leadoff homerun to deep left by junior Jocelyn Russo (Middletown, Conn.), her first long ball of the season. Russo was Endicott’s most efficient batter on the day as she went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a RBI.
O’Connor set the Lancers down in the second and third innings before allowing a single run in the top of the fourth. An error allowed Worcester State junior Aimee Lamoureux (East Brookfield, Mass.) to reach base with one out. A single to right by Ashley Howe (Winchendon, Mass.) pushed the runner along to third and Everson helped her own cause with an RBI groundout to tie the game.
Worcester State took the lead in the next inning on another infield groundout to score a runner from third base Lauren Besozzi (Milford, Mass.) hit an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. A passed ball allowed Besozzi to reach third before Hassett’s groundout to short brought her home.
In the bottom of the fifth with the Gulls trailing 2-1, Endicott loaded the bases with two outs after sophomore Jesse Bilafer (Concord, Mass.) legged out an infield single to short. Martin stepped to the plate and on the first pitch sent a laser beam line drive right at the centerfielder who made the catch to end the threat.
The Lancers would score twice in the top of the sixth, courtesy of two costly infield errors by the Gulls to take a 4-1 lead. An errant throw after a sharp grounder to third allowed Besozzi and Erica Cordio (Leominster, Mass.) to round the bases for Worcester State.
Endicott rebounded, however, in the bottom of the seventh with their two-out comeback to keep their ECAC New England Championship hopes alive.