Baseball Splits With Endicott

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Senior Ben Danker (Branford, Conn.) went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI while freshman Ben Lewis (Middletown, R.I.) allowed one hit over five innings as Wentworth defeated Endicott, 6-2, to earn a split of a The Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader played at Northeastern University's Friedman Diamond.  The Gulls took the first game by a 3-1 score.

Game one featured a solid pitching performance by Endicott sophomore Tyler Hitchcock (Abington, Mass.) who yielded just one unearned run on two hits over six innings of work, including setting down 13 batters in a row from the first through fifth innings.

The Gulls plated a pair of first-inning runs as junior Danny Mello (Peabody, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to start the game and went to third on a senior Christopher Dominquez (Braintree, Mass.) single.  Dominquez stole second and a walk to sophomore Eric Lemke (Southington, Conn.) loaded the bases.  Freshman Tad Gold (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.) grounded to short, erasing Lemke, but allowing Mello to score the game's first run.  Gold would steal second and advance to third on a throwing error, while on the delayed steal, Dominquez put the Gulls ahead 2-0.

Hitchcock allowed a two-out walk to junior Conner Flisnik (Marcy, N.Y.), which would be the only baserunner he would allow until the start of the sixth inning when sophomore Ryan Delgado (Wareham, Mass.) broke up the no-hitter with a single to left.  After moving to second on a groundout, he scored when senior Matt Jordan (Concord, N.H.) reached on a fielding error.  Wentworth would load the bases but Hitchcock got a strikeout to end the threat.

Endicott added a run in the top of the seventh when sophomore Mike Griffin (Arlington, Mass.) lead off with a walk, moved to second on a hit by pitch, and went to third on a double play.  He came in to score on a Mello RBI single.

Down to its last at bat Delgado and sophomore Tom Moules (Peabody, Mass.) drew back-to-back, two-out walks, but sophomore reliever Brendan Pittsley (Plympton, Mass.) got a flyout to end the game.

Hitchcock improved to 4-2 on the season as he struck out six in his six innings of work.  Pittsley earned his first save of the season by pitching a scoreless seventh.  Mello and Dominquez had Endicott's two hits.

Senior Doug Papuga (Branford, Conn.) fell to 4-2, allowing three runs on two hits, while walking three and striking out seven.  Flisnik and Delgado had Wentworth's hits.

Freshman Jon Spitz hit a one-out, infield single to start things off for the Leopards in the nightcap, and, on the first pitch of the at bat, Danker delivered a two-run home run to left.  Seniors Jake McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) and Mike Diodato (Asbury, N.J.) drew walks, but were left on base after a strikeout to end the inning

In the top of the second inning Endicott threatened, thanks to two walks and an infield single, but Lewis got a flyout to end the threat.  The Leopards added to their lead in the home half of the inning after Papuga tripled to left center and came home on an RBI single from Spitz.  Wentworth made it a 4-0 game in the fifth inning as Danker drew a one-out walk and went to second on a McManus infield hit.  Danker would move to third on an overthrow on the attempt to get McManus and was squeezed home by Diodato.

The sixth inning saw the Gulls cut the lead in half and Lemke walked and freshman Jake Northrup (Boxborough, Mass.) singled up the middle.  Both players moved up 90 feet on a balk and Lemke scored on a groundout by Gold, which also moved Northrup to third.  A long flyout to right on a foul ball by junior Colin Sitarz (West Hartford, Conn.) drove in Northrup to make it a 4-2 game.

Delgado led off the sixth with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Papuga, and went to third on a wild pitch.  Jordan walked and stole second but neither player was able to move up on a groundout.  Flisnik was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs and Danker delivered a two-run single to center to make it a four-run game.

Lewis evened his record at 2-2, as he walked four and struck out three in his five innings of work.  Sophomore Ryan DeCotis (Nashua, N.H.) allowed a pair of runs in the sixth inning and Jordan had one strikeout in a scoreless seventh.  In addition to Danker's two hits, Spitz, Spitz, Delgado, and Papuga all recorded two hits.

Junior Mike Nich (Orange, Conn.) took the loss (5-3) for the Gulls, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 4.1 innings of work.  Freshman John Morrison (Ridgefield, Conn.) allowed one hit and struck out one in a third of an inning while freshman Connor McLaughlin (Clinton, Mass.) allowed a pair of runs in the seventh.  Northrup and junior Mike Russo (Natick, Mass.) recorded Endicott's two hits.

Wentworth stands at 21-10 overall and 13-5 in conference play.  The Leopards are at New England College tomorrow for a TCCC doubleheader.  Endicott stands at 25-12 (15-7) and is at Brandeis tomorrow.