BACK-TO-BACK: Endicott Sweeps Western New England To Claim Second Straight CCC Championship

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott softball team swept Western New England, 4-0 & 8-0 (5 inn.), to win its second straight Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship on Saturday evening.

GAME ONE: Endicott 4, Western New England 0

W: Michaela Hamill (Lynn, Mass.) – 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
L: Paige Uliase (Meriden, Conn.) – 6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
SV: None

Tied 0-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Adrianna Favreau (Tewksbury, Mass.) gave the Gulls the only run they needed with a run-producing single through the right side plating Carly Marchitto (Orange, Conn.) from third base.

From there, Katie Terban (Georgetown, Mass.) made it 2-0 with a RBI single in the fourth, while Meghan Connor (St. Albans, Vt.) put the exclamation point on the victory with a two-run home to right field in the fifth.

Game one was really all about Hamill, however, as the graduate student flat out dominated in the circle.

Hamill did not allow a single runner to reach second base, recorded the last seven outs of the game in order, and registered three 1-2-3 innings. She also held Golden Bears' leadoff hitters in an inning to a 0-for-7 showing on the day.

GAME TWO: Endicott 8, Western New England 0 (5 inn.)

W: Maria Hanchuk (South Windsor, Conn.) – 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
L: Megan Beebe (Ellington, Conn.) – 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
SV: None

The offense was on full display in game two as the Gulls scored all of their runs on homers.

Favreau launched a two-run homer in the first and mashed a grand slam in the second (6-0), while Raven Comtois (Milford, N.H.) capped the scoring later in the frame with a two-run blast of her own.  

Meanwhile, Hanchuk posted a similar day in the circle to Hamill as the sophomore left-hander didn't allow any Golden Bears to reach scoring position, retired the last six batters she faced in order, and notched two 1-2-3 innings.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORES

• Endicott is 5-2 all-time against Western New England in the CCC Championship.
• The Gulls are 27-13 versus the Golden Bears dating back to 2008.
• Endicott has mercy-ruled every opponent its faced at least once this season.
• This is the second year in a row the Gulls clinched the CCC Championship via mercy rule.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (19-2) has earned the league's automatic qualifier into the 2021 NCAA Division III Softball Championship Tournament. First round action is scheduled to begin on Thursday, May 20.

Western New England sees its 2021 season come to a close at 16-8 overall.