Endicott Goes Deep Twice In Doubleheader Sweep Of Gordon (8-4, 6-1)

BEVERLY, Mass. — The Endicott softball team powered past North Shore rival and Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) foe Gordon, 8-4 and 6-1, Thursday afternoon in doubleheader action at the Softball Complex.

GAME ONE: ENDICOTT 8, GORDON 4

After playing the first full inning with each team pinning one run up onto the scoreboard, the rain poured down and suspended the game in the top of the second inning on Wednesday, April 12th with Gordon's pitcher Caitlin Catalanotto (Kingston, N.H.) up to bat and a runner on first and one out.

In the continuation of this game on April 13th, Catalanotto launched the second pitch she saw from Gulls' freshman starter Michaela Hamill (Lynn, Mass.) and sent it over the fence in left field to give Gordon an early 3-1 lead.

Endicott used home run power of its own as sophomore first baseman Jamie Hopgood (Warwick, R.I.) and sophomore left fielder Hayley Arduini (Southington, Conn.) hit dingers in the bottom of the fourth to give the Gulls a 4-3 edge and never look back.

The Gulls then added four runs in the sixth, highlighted by Arduini's two-RBI single.

Hamill earned the complete-game win to improve to 3-1 on the season as she allowed four runs (all earned) on seven hits (one double, one home run), walked three and struck out one.

GAME TWO: ENDICOTT 6, GORDON 1

The Gulls did the majority of their damage in the second inning, as all three runs came with two outs.

Endicott built a 5-0 lead heading to the top of the sixth before Gordon's junior pitcher Emily Kline (Park Ridge, N.J.) saved the visitors from being shut out with her solo shot to right center with two outs in the frame.

Sophomore starter Laura Somerville (Suffield, Conn.) evened her ledger to 4-4 on the season picking up today's complete-game win in Game 2 by scattering four hits (one double, one homer), walking one, and fanning seven batters.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The Gulls swept a CCC opponent in a doubleheader for the second time this season.
• Hamill tossed her second career complete-game in her fifth start (12th appearance of the season) in Game 1.
• Hopgood and Arduini now each have two home runs for Endicott on the season.
• Senior right fielder Julia McNeill (Smithtown, N.Y.) entered the day on a season-long nine-game streak of reaching base safely and extended that effort to 11 straight games today by drawing a walk in Game 1 before pacing the Gulls at the plate with a 2-for-4 effort with one RBI triple and two runs scored in Game 2.
• McNeill also notched two stolen bases (one in each game) to bring her season total to a team-leading eight swipes.
• Sophomore center fielder Olivia Odermatt (Cheshire, Conn.) saw her eight-game consecutive hit streak come to an end in Game 2, but she still leads the team with six multi-hit games this season and boasts a team-best .375 batting average. 
• Arudini's streak of seven straight games recording at least one hit also came to an end in Game 2.
• Junior shortstop Kayla Sheldon (Burlington, Mass.) scored a season-high two runs for the Gulls in Game 2.

FOR THE FOES

• The Fighting Scots received home runs from both of its starting pitchers today.
• Catalanotto shouldered the loss (7-4) in Game 1 as she surrendered eight runs (five earned) on six hits (one double, two home runs), walked four, and struck out two in six innings of work.
• Kline was tagged with the loss in Game 2 (1-7) by giving up six runs (three earned) on eight hits, four walks, and four punchouts in six innings in the circle.
• Sophomore utility player Meghan Jenkerson (McDonough, Ga.) and sophomore center fielder Rose Shannon (Ashland, Mass.) each collected a pair of hits in Game 1, while Shannon scored a team-best two runs in that game.
• Jenkerson is currently tied for second amongst CCC leaders with 22 runs batted in this season.

NOTES

• The Gulls are 32-2 all-time against Gordon dating back to the 2001 season and 16-0 at home.
• Endicott has won the past seven meetings, including a doubleheader sweep last season during the regular season in which the Gulls won [3-0 and 7-5 (8 inn.)] as Courtney Blake threw a no-hitter in Game 1 on March 23, 2016 in the most recent meeting before today.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (9-13, 4-6 CCC) hosts Curry on Friday, April 14th at 2:00/4:00 p.m. in a CCC twin bill rescheduled from March 25th.

Gordon (9-15, 5-7 CCC) welcomes Western New England to its campus on Monday, April 17th at 3:00/5:00 p.m.

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(Photo Credit — Matt Connelly)