Gulls Stay Alive in CCC Tournament Highlighted by Game Two Walk-Off by McNeill

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Endicott softball team traveled to Springfield on Thursday evening for day two of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Double Elimination Tournament. The #3 Gulls claimed two victories today, highlighted by a walk-off single by sophomore Julia McNeill (Hauppauge, N.Y.) in game two over Roger Williams to stay alive in the tournament. Endicott improves to 17-18 as they are set to battle with #6 University of New England on Saturday. Both teams have one loss thus far with the loser being eliminated and the winner advancing to the championship game with #1 Western New England.

Game One: Endicott 3, Curry 2

In game one junior Courtney Blake (East Islip, N.Y.) took the circle and hurled a complete game as she improves to 14-4 on the season. The pitcher faced 29 batters while allowing just seven hits. Her counterpart senior Taylor Ahearn (Salem, Mass.) pitched six innings with four strikeouts.

Endicott got on the board first in the bottom of the second to take an early 2-0 score. With freshman Margaret Martzolf (Port Saint Lucie, Fla.) on second, freshman Kayla Sheldon (Burlington, Mass.) singled with a bunt to send Martzolf home. The following batter, sophomore Chrissy Gikas (Danvers, Mass.) singled to third base which presented a throwing error by the Colonels allowing Sheldon to cross home plate.

Curry got within one in the top of the fourth before tying the game up in the top of the fifth. The Blue and Green earned the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth as junior Emily Hoffman (Malden, Mass.) ran around the bases off a throwing error by Curry for the 3-2 final.

Game Two: Endicott 5, Roger Williams 4 – 9 Innings

In game two, Blake again took the circle and hurled an impressive nine innings while earning four strikeouts on 44 batters faced. McNeill and Martzolf both led with two ribbies, with the game-winner going to McNeill.

Roger Williams got on the board first as junior Taylor Messier (Cranston, R.I.) crossed home plate off a single from sophomore Meredith Moise (North Reading, Mass.). The following inning the Hawks made it a 2-0 game after Messier tripled with a runner on second. In the top of the third Roger Williams again kicked the lead up to three off a single from junior Veronica Alicea (Trumbull, Conn.).

The lead would not last for long as rookie, Martzolf cranked a two-run homerun to get the Gulls back in the game in the fourth inning. The following inning McNeill earned her first ribbie of the game as she sent Gikas home for the game-tying run.

Heading into extra innings the Hawks took the 4-3 lead off a single in the top of the ninth, but the Gulls quickly responded in the bottom with two key hits from McNeill and freshman Casie Beachemin (Lincoln, R.I.). Beachemin earned the first RBI of the inning with her single to send junior Jess Linden (Stratford, Conn.) home from second. McNeill then singled through the right side to secure the 5-4 extra innings victory.