NCAA TOURNAMENT: Endicott Bests Penn State Berks To Advance To Regional Championship, 5-1

SALISBURY, Md. — The Endicott softball team defeated Penn State Berks, 5-1, in NCAA Tournament action on Sunday evening at Sea Gull Softball Stadium.

WP (15-4): Jaylin Couto (Taunton, Mass.) — 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
LP (10-8): Arizona Shreck (Jersey Shore, Pa.) — 2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Endicott scored five runs over the first two innings and never looked back.

In the first inning, Chrissy Marotto (Southington, Conn.) and Taylor Chelak (Westborough, Mass.) both notched RBI singles before an error on the backend of Chalk's hit made it 3-0.

Keelin Spencer (San Jose, Calif.) and Katie Watts (Swampscott, Mass.) followed with a sac fly and an RBI double in the second, respectively, to cap the scoring.

Penn State Berks looked to produce a crooked number in the third, but Couto worked out of a one-out, first and second jam after allowing a solo homer in the frame.

Couto locked down the Nittany Lions' offense the rest of the way holding them to a 1-for-13 showing (single) at the plate to luck up the victory. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Endicott is 2-0 all-time against Penn State Berks.
• Couto's 15 wins rank third in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC).
• The Gulls improved 7-5 in neutral site games on the season.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (32-12) will play No. 4 nationally ranked Salisbury at 12:30 PM. 

The Gulls will need to defeat Salisbury twice in order to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals. The Sea Gulls only need one victory to extend their postseason schedule and be crowned Salisbury Regional champions.

The if necessary game is tentatively scheduled for 3 PM. 

Penn State Berks' season comes to a close at 27-13 overall. 

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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)