No. 1 Baseball Snatches Two At No. 15 Eastern Connecticut, 9-5 and 4-0

STORRS, Conn. — The No. 1 nationally ranked Endicott baseball team swept No. 15 ranked Eastern Connecticut State in a doubleheader, 9-5 and 4-0, in exciting fashion on Saturday afternoon at Mansfield Outdoor Athletic Complex.

GAME ONE: No. 1 Endicott 9, No. 15 Eastern Connecticut 5

WP (8-0): Jordan Gottesman (Acton, Mass.) — 8 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
LP (3-1): Matthew Wootton (Milford, Conn.) — 3.1 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Trailing by two in the top of the fourth, the Gulls put together a seven-run frame to take hold of the contest.

The offensive explosion began with three consecutive baserunners for the Gulls, as Dylan Pacheco (Dartmouth, Mass.) reached on an error while Nicolas Notarangelo (Taunton, Mass.) and Danny MacDougall (Taunton, Mass.) each reached on singles.

After the Warriors recorded the first out of the inning, Robbie Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) blooped one over the head of the second baseman and drove in the first Endicott run of the afternoon (Pacheco). He was followed by TJ Liponis (Scarborough, Maine), who sent a line drive into right center to plate MacDougall and Notarangelo.

Zach Stephenson (Mansfield, Mass.) kept the line moving, as he singled up the middle to score Wladkowski, making it three consecutive RBI base-knocks for the Blue and Green. 

Following a pitching change for the Warriors, James Benestad (Northborough, Mass.) made it four-consecutive hits with a single, setting up a bases-loaded opportunity for Joey Frammartino (North Reading, Mass.), who drove in a run via a hit-by-pitch.

Pacheco capped off the huge inning with a two-run double to right field, plating Benestad and Stephenson.

That run support was plentiful for Gottesman, who went a career-long eight innings with eight strikeouts.

Evan Scully (Maynard, Mass.) replaced him in the ninth and recorded the last three outs, sealing the 9-5 victory in game one.

GAME TWO: No. 1 Endicott 4, No. 15 Eastern Connecticut 0

WP (3-0): Kyan Bagshaw (Amherst, N.H.) — 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
LP (2-2): Chris Torres (West Springfield, Mass.) — 6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

John Connolly (Attleboro, Mass.) toed the rubber for the Gulls in game two. He flourished in the outing, limiting the Warriors to just four baserunners (two walks, two hits) while striking out eight in his 7.2 innings of work.

Bagshaw relieved him in the bottom of the eighth with two outs and recorded the final out of the inning by way of the K, sending the Gulls to the ninth without a score.

Pacheco and Notarangelo led off the ninth with back-to-back walks, but Eastern Connecticut pitching was able to bounce back by retiring MacDougall and Brendan O'Neil (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) in succession. Wladkowski was able to reach base via a hit-by-pitch, setting up a bases loaded opportunity for Liponis, who was coming off a team-high three hits in game one.

On the third pitch of his at-bat, Liponis drilled one to right field that kept carrying and carrying, and eventually ended up zipping over the right field wall for a go-ahead grand slam, sending the Gulls into a frenzy. The shortstop was greeted at home plate by a bouncing Notarangelo and an ecstatic Wladkowski and Pacheco.

The momentum of that slam followed Bagshaw into the bottom of the ninth, who cruised through the frame with a 1-2-3 inning (two strikeouts), locking up the 4-0 win for the Gulls. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The Gulls and Warriors have won three games apiece in the all-time matchup.
• Coming into today, the No. 15 Warriors were undefeated at home (11-0).
• First career grand slam for Liponis. His career-high four RBI in game two surpassed his previous high mark of three, which he also recorded in game one (seven total RBI on the day).
• Connolly has now recorded back-to-back starts (16.2 innings) without allowing a run.
• The Gulls advance to 3-0 against top-15 ranked opponents this season (No. 9 Johns Hopkins, 3/18).

WHAT'S NEXT

No. 1 Endicott (28-2, 10-1 CCC) hosts Gordon on Tuesday for a 3:30 PM contest at North Field. No. 15 Eastern Connecticut State (22-8, 9-1 LEC) travels to Keene State on Tuesday for a 3 PM contest. 

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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)