Softball Splits Opening Day Slugfest; Shapleigh Homers Twice In The Same Inning

CLERMONT, Fla. — The Endicott softball team split a pair of games against Middlebury (8-11) and Ripon (16-7, 5 inn.) on Sunday evening at Hancock Park (Field 4).

GAME ONE: Middlebury 11, Endicott 8

WP (2-0): McKenna Lont (Wyckoff, N.J.) — 5.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
LP (0-1): Jaylin Couto (Taunton, Mass.) — 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 5 K

The Panthers scored in every inning but the second to come away with the victory.

Chloe Shapleigh (Lynnfield, Mass.), Hadley Marchand (Andover, Conn.), and Paige Berdos (Plainville, Mass.) highlighted Endicott's offense with two RBI each. 

In the first inning, Marchand tied up the contest at 1-1 with an RBI single to right center before Shapleigh gave the Gulls a 2-1 lead in the second via a bases loaded walk.

Middlebury regained a 4-2 advantage with a three-run effort in the third, and tacked on solo runs in frames 4-6 to make it 7-3.

Endicott did not go away quietly in the bottom half of the sixth as Marchand worked a bases loaded walk and Berdos knocked in two more with a single up the middle.

The Panthers followed with four runs in the seventh leaving Shapleigh to cap the scoring in the bottom half with an RBI single. 

GAME TWO: Endicott 16, Ripon 7 (5 inn.)

WP (1-0): Kristen Beebe (Brentwood, N.H.) — 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 K
LP (0-2): Brooklyn Cooper (Reno, Nev.) — 1.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

The Gulls scored 10 runs in the second inning to secure the eventual split on day one.

Elyse Saccoccio (Coventry, R.I.) ignited the offense in Endicott's five-run first inning with a two-run shot to dead center for a quick 2-0 advantage.

Caitlyn Romero (Southport, Conn.) also had an RBI single in the frame, while Remington Casida (Coventry, Conn.) knocked in two with a base hit to center. 

Shapleigh was the story in the 10-run second, as the senior designated player bookended the inning with a pair of homers.

She legged out an inside the park homer on a hard-hit ball down the right field line and belted a three-run bomb to center for her encore performance in the frame.

Shapleigh (5), Romero (3) and Casida (2) combined to drive in 10 of the Gulls' 16 runs.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORES

• Endicott is 3-1-1 all-time against Middlebury (first meeting since 2002).
• The Gulls are 2-0 all-time versus Ripon (first meeting since 2018).
• Only 15 other student-athletes in NCAA D3 history have hit two homers in the same inning, per the 2024 NCAA D3 Softball Record Book.
• Shapleigh finished the twinbill going 3-for-8 with two runs, two homers, seven RBI, and one walk.
• Beebe earned her ninth career win (14th career start).
• Saccoccio launched her second career homer.
• Berdos was 4-for-7 with two runs scored, two RBI, a walk, and a stolen base.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (1-1) takes on Amherst and Keene State tomorrow in Clermont, Fla. at 2:00 PM and 4:15 PM, respectively. 

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(Photo Credit - Karisa Juneau '27)