Eighth-inning rally sparks Gulls comeback but Endicott falls 7-6 to WNE

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Endicott’s run for their first Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) title since the 2006 season ended on Sunday afternoon with a 7-6 loss to top seed Western New England, despite a five-run top of the eighth inning that tied the game at 6-6.
 
Senior third baseman Danny Mello’s (Peabody, Mass.) third homerun of the season, a three-run blast over the left field wall, capped off a five-run inning that sparked a Gulls offense that had been relatively silent for much of the game. 
 
An infield single by freshman Conor Ressel (Rockport, Mass.) and a base hit to center by senior Benjamin Petrides (Belchertown, Mass.) started the Endicott rally in the inning.  With Ressel and Petrides and Ressel manning first and third base, Mello delivered the game-tying shot.  The next batter, Eric Lemke (Southington, Conn.), roped a double to left center to keep the rally alive as he represented the go-ahead run.  Golden Bears pitcher Mike Lawlor (Windsor, Conn.), who had given up Mello’s homerun after coming on in relief of starter Mark DiTommaso (Hebron, Conn.), finally ended the inning with a strikeout. 
 
With the game tied at 6-6, Western New England wasted no time in regaining the lead in the bottom of the eighth as Tim Clark (West Springfield, Mass.) plated Matt Anthonis (Guilford, Conn.) with an RBI single to right to put the Golden Bears back on top 7-6. 
 
Endicott put the tying run on third base in the top of the ninth but Lawlor got Ressel to pop up to end the game, eliminating the Gulls from contention in the tournament. 
 
Lawlor (4-2) earned the win after relieving DiTommaso who went 7 2/3 innings, allowed five earned runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out four. 
 
On the bump for the Blue and Green, sophomore Tyler Hill (Plymouth, N.H.) got the start and went two innings before handing the ball over to the bullpen.  Hill allowed four runs, three of which were earned, on four hits and two walks.  Brendan Pittsley (Plympton, Mass.) pitched three strong innings followed by scoreless innings by both Kevin Dupras (Belchertown, Mass.) and Connor McLaughlin (Clinton, Mass.).  John Morrison (Ridgefield, Conn.) took the loss, falling to 2-1 on the season. 
 
Senior Michael Russo (Natick, Mass.) went 3-for-5 with a RBI and a run in the loss.  His single to left field in the top of the second to drive home freshman Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass.) accounted for Endicott’s only run until the five-run eighth. 
 
For the Golden Bears, Anthonis was 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored.
 
Both teams had 11 hits in the game.  Endicott had two errors in the field while Western New England committed three miscues. 
 
Western New England moves on to face \#4 Roger Williams who is the only team left in the tournament without a loss against them. 
 
Endicott will look towards a berth into the ECAC Tournament, a playoff bracket they won in the 2011 season.