Timely Hitting Propels Endicott Past Curry In Doubleheader Sweep

BEVERLY, Mass. — The Endicott softball team swept another Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) twin bill today, this time against visiting Curry College, (8-0 [6 inn.], 5-3), Friday afternoon at the Softball Complex.

GAME ONE: ENDICOTT 8, CURRY 0 (6 INN.)

Endicott scored three runs in the first inning, highlighted by sophomore left fielder KK Palmerino's (Glenmont, N.Y.) bases-clearing single to center with two outs to plate two for the Gulls.

Sophomore center fielder Olivia Odermatt (Cheshire, Conn.) then drilled an RBI double to left center for another run in the fifth, followed by her walk-off single to left field with two outs in the sixth inning that capped a four-run sixth inning to enact the mercy rule.

Freshman starter Michaela Hamill (Lynn, Mass.) tossed her second career shutout to improve to 4-1 on the season as she scattered six hits, walked three, and struck out two.

GAME TWO: ENDICOTT 5, CURRY 3

A four-spot in the second inning all with two outs gave the Gulls a 4-0 lead on back-to-back-to-back RBI singles from junior shortstop Kayla Sheldon (Burlington, Mass.), junior catcher Lindsee Allienello (East Providence, R.I.), and senior right fielder Julia McNeill (Smithtown, N.Y.).

Odermatt led off the third inning with her first career home run after fouling a pitch off that smashed a car's back window that was parked behind the field. She then drove the very next pitch she saw and blasted it off the scoreboard in left field for the Gulls' fifth run of the game.

Trailing 5-0, Curry's junior second baseman Mikayla Lambert (Blackstone, Mass.) answered back to drive in a pair of Curry's runs with a two-RBI double to center field in the fifth for the Colonels' first runs of the day.

An RBI groundout by Rachel Byrd (Hampstead, N.Y.) pushed across the final run of the afternoon as  sophomore starter Laura Somerville (Suffield, Conn.) retired seven of the next eight batters she faced in order (including 1-2-3 sixth and seventh innings) on her way to her team-best fifth win (5-4) of the season in the complete-game effort.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The Gulls earned their third conference doubleheader sweep of the season and second straight in as many days.
• Endicott's walk-off victory in Game 1 was its third walk off win this season and fourth overall appearance in a game that ended in this sort of fashion.
• The Gulls earned their fourth shutout victory of the season in Game 1 and third run-rule win game.
• Endicott tallied double-digit hit totals in Game 2 (12) for the seventh time this season.
• Eight of the Gulls' 13 runs today scored with two outs.
• Sophomore first baseman Jamie Hopgood (Warwick, R.I) extended her hit streak to eight straight games for the team's longest active consecutive streak and has reached base safely in a team-best 14 straight games.
• McNeill and Odermatt also have reached safely in 13 and 11 straight games, respectively.
• Hopgood and senior second baseman Chrissy Gikas (Danvers, Mass.) each had multi-hit games in both contests, while Odermatt went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored in Game 1.
• Hopgood leads the team with seven multi-hit games this season.
• Gikas now has three multi-hit games this season, but today was her first time doing it in back-to-back games.
• Sheldon registered her first career three-hit game with a 3-for-3 effort in Game 2.

FOR THE FOES

• The Colonels were swept in a conference doubleheader for the second time this season.
• Junior Kevi Oatway (East Hartford, Conn.) and freshman Michaela Colleran (East Bridgewater, Mass.) each collected a pair of hits in Game 1.
• Lambert suffered the loss in Game 1 (5-7)  as she went five plus innings and was charged with five runs on seven hits while walking four a striking out a season-high seven batters before being relieved by senior pitcher McKenna Barlow (Middletown, R.I.).
• Junior pitcher Rebecca Black (East Greenwich, R.I.) was tagged with the loss on this Good Friday in Game 2 (3-4) as she surrendered all five runs on 12 hits and recorded four punchouts.

NOTES  

• Today's doubleheader was rescheduled from March 25, 2017, when it was set to be the Gulls' home opener before poor weather postponed the contest.
• The Gulls are 38-3-1 all-time against Curry dating back to the 2001 season and 22-1 at home.
• Endicott has won the past seven meetings, including a doubleheader sweep last season during the regular season in which the Gulls won [11-4 and 6-0] as sophomore outfielder Hayley Arudini (Southington, Conn.) tied the program's record for most RBIs in a single game with seven in Game 1 of the contest for her first career grand slam and first career game with multiple home runs.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (11-13, 6-6 CCC) will face Nichols on the road on Monday, April 17th at 3:00/5:00 p.m. in a CCC doubleheader rescheduled from March 26th.

Curry (12-16, 7-7 CCC) hosts Wheelock on Tuesday, April 18th at 3:00/5:00 p.m. in non-conference action.

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(Photo Credit — Matt Connelly)