Long Ball Powers Jumbos' Doubleheader Sweep Of Gulls (15-3, 12-6)

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott softball team fell victim to the hard-hitting visiting Jumbos of Tufts University, 15-3 (5 inn.) and 12-6, Wednesday evening in non-conference doubleheader action at the Softball Field.

GAME 1 – Tufts 15, Endicott 3 (5 inn.)

The Jumbos put six runs up on the board in the top of the first, as five of those runs scored before the Gulls even recorded one out in the inning.

Tufts added another run in the third inning before Endicott pushed across three runs of its own all with two outs in the bottom of the fourth when senior catcher Samantha DiBella (Danvers, Mass.) came in to score on sophomore center fielder Casie Beauchemin's (Lincoln, R.I.) RBI infield single to second base.

Junior second baseman Chrissy Gikas' (Danvers, Mass.) infield single then wreaked havoc as sophomore shortstop Danielle Stratton (Agawam, Mass.) was able to score (unearned) on the ensuing error on the play and Beauchemin crossed the plate (unearned) on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 7-3 at the end of the fourth.

The Jumbos put the game out of reach with an eight-spot in the top of the fifth with the big blow in the inning coming with two outs as junior left fielder Maggie Hoffman (Avon, Mass.) drove the second pitch she saw from Gulls' freshman relief pitcher Laura Somerville (Suffield, Conn.) over the fence in left center for a three-run jack to cap the scoring in the first game.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The Jumbos sent every batter in their lineup to the plate in both the first and fifth innings and all but one of them came around to score in the fifth.
• Senior pitcher Courtney Blake (East Islip, N.Y.) suffered the loss (8-7) as she lasted 4 2/3 innings in the circle and was charged with 14 runs (nine earned) on 14 hits, walked one and struck out one.
• Gikas and senior designated player Emily Hoffman (Malden, Mass.) led the Gulls with a pair of hits each.

FOR THE FOES

• Sophomore pitcher Raina Galbiati (Boulder, Colo.) earned the win (5-2) as she allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits in five innings of work while walking two and fanning five batters.
• Hoffman led the charge with a 3-for-4 effort at the dish with two extra-base hits (one double, one home run) and four RBIs to go along with two runs scored.
• Freshman shortstop Christian Cain (Houston, Texas) also went 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored.
• Galbiati drove in three runs while scoring two of her own as she notched a pair of singles.

GAME 2 – Tufts 12, Endicott 6

Tufts picked up right where it left off in game one by scoring two early runs in the top of the first and added four more in the fourth before Endicott's Hoffman tripled to right field to plate freshman left fielder Hayley Arduini (Southington, Conn.) to erase the zero on the board as the Gulls trailed 6-1 through four complete.

Sophomore catcher Raven Fournier (Springfield, Mass.) smashed her first of two dingers on the day down the left field line to score Cain and give Tufts an 8-1 cushion in the fifth before Endicott managed to string together a five-run fifth.

Junior right fielder Julia McNeill's (Smithtown, N.Y.) two-RBI double to right center, Hoffman's two-RBI triple to right, and junior third baseman Lindsee Allienello's (East Providence, R.I.) two-out RBI double to left cut the deficit to 8-6 and gave the Gulls life heading into the later innings.

Tufts squashed the chance for a comeback with six hits and four runs in the top of the seven as junior designated player Cassie Ruscz (Wolcott, Conn.) and Fournier went yard back-to-back and Hoffman hit her second long ball of the afternoon.

Sophomore pitcher Mikaela Mallozzi (Shelton, Conn.) took the loss (2-4) in four innings in the circle and allowed seven runs (five earned) on five hits (one homer), three walks, and two strikeouts before being replaced by Somerville in the fifth (8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 1 K).

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Tufts edged Endicott in hits, 13-10, as five of them went were of the round-tripper variety.
• The Gulls batted around in the fifth inning, while the Jumbos did the same in the seventh inning.
• E. Hoffman went 3-for-3 with two triples, three RBIs, one walk and one run scored as she tripled twice in the same game for the first time in her career.
• Sophomore shortstop Kayla Sheldon (Burlington, Mass.) and Arduini each collected a pair of hits while also scoring one and two runs, respectively.
• Somerville gave up five home runs on the day, including four in relief in game two.
• In all, six of the Jumbos' 28 hits in the doubleheader were home runs.

FOR THE FOES

• Senior pitcher Erica County (Arlington, Mass.) pitched a complete-game en route to her 14th victory of the season (14-3) and surrendered six runs on 10 hits and two walks.
• Ruscz and Fournier both homered twice in game two, while Hoffman had a three-run blast in game one and a solo shot in game two for her first two round-trippers on the year.
• Ruscz leads the team with eight homers this season, while Fournier now has six.
• Junior center fielder Carrie Copacino (Newton, Mass.) tallied three hits out of the nine hole.

NOTES

• The Gulls are 3-15 overall and 2-6 at home against the Jumbos dating back to April 22, 2001.
• Tufts swept the Gulls (5-0, 4-2) in the most recent meeting on April 22, 2015 in Medford, Mass.
• The Jumbos are the three-time defending NCAA Division III National Champions.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (15-14, 8-4 CCC) hosts Roger Williams on Saturday, April 23rd for a CCC doubleheader at 12:00/2:00 p.m. on Senior Day at the Softball Field. Tufts (19-7, 9-0 NESCAC) plays at Bates for a three-game series beginning Friday, April 22nd at 4:00 p.m. 

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