Two Gulls Crank Grand Slams in a Doubleheader with Salem State

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott softball team hosted neighborhood foe, Salem State on Tuesday afternoon for a non-conference, North Shore Cup matchup. In game one the Gulls soared to a 10-2 victory, led by sophomore Sam DiBella (Danvers, Mass.) who earned a grand slam. In a tighter game two which ended in a 6-6 tie, senior Jesse Bilafer (Concord, Mass.) ripped her first homerun on the season with a grand slam that led the Gulls to a six run deficit comeback.

The Blue and Green improve to 13-4-1 (5-1 CCC) at the end of the night while the Vikings bump to 8-15-1 (2-2 MASCAC). Endicott will see action next, tomorrow, April 8^th as they host Wellesley in a non-conference doubleheader at 3/5 p.m.

Game One: Endicott 10, Salem State 2

In game one sophomore Courtney Blake (East Islip, N.Y.) controlled the circle as she improved to 4-0 with the victory. The sophomore posted three strikeouts and only four hits on 21 batters face while her pitch count was 46 strikes on 67 pitches.

The Gulls started the scoring early in the bottom of the first as sophomore Emily Hoffman (Malden, Mass.) scored an unearned run after DiBella reached first on a muffed throw by the first baseman to take the 1-0 lead. Following a strong first inning, senior Kelley Michael (Ipswich, Mass.) ripped her first homerun on the season to center field making it a 2-0 game. After a scoreless third inning for both sides, the Vikings tied it up in the top of the fourth as sophomore Kristin McKenzie (Arlington, Mass.) earned an RBI by bringing sophomore Rebecca Krigman (Malden, Mass.) to home plate.

Salem State then took the lead the next inning as freshman Jess Raymond (Peabody, Mass.) sacrificed to bring her teammate home for the 2-1 lead.

Fired up, the Blue and Green answered back by scoring eight runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Hoffman singled to left center to bring junior Jess Linden (Stratford, Conn.) home for the tying run. With the bases loaded DiBella then stepped up to the plate and ripped a grand slam to centerfield to make it a 2-7 score.

To wrap up the inning, Corda sacrificed to left field to bring freshman Rachel Couto (Chelmsford, Mass.) home followed by a double to left center by Bilafer to bring Linden and junior Sam Cila (Wakefield, Mass.) around the bases to secure the 10-2 triumph.

Game Two: Endicott 6, Salem State 6

In game two the Gulls made an impressive comeback as they were trailing 6-0 entering the bottom of the sixth inning. The Vikings were able to get the best of junior pitcher Meg Donegan (Atkinson, N.H.) who hurled 4^2/3 innings and faced 22 batters. In the top of the fifth Salem State scored five runs, led by a two-run homerun by Krigman.

Freshman Leigh Wyman (South Freeport, Maine.) came in to relieve Donegan to wrap up the fifth inning as she finished the night with a pitch count of 27 strikes on 44 pitches.

Salem State earned their last run of the game in the top of the sixth before the Blue and Green started to light up the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. To start the scoring off with, the bases loaded, Bilafer sent a grand slam homerun through centerfield to make it a two run game at the top of the order. In the bottom of the seventh Couto and sophomore Jamie Corda (Higganum, Conn.) crossed home plate after a throwing error by the pitcher in attempt to get senior Kelley Michael out at first to bring in the tying runs.

Due to the dark the game would end in a tie before extra innings could begin. The tie was a cumulative comeback effort for the Blue and Green as they head into tomorrow ready to take on Wellesley.