Box Score BEVERLY, Mass. - Endicott College cranked out
18 hits, including a 4-for-4 effort from sophomore Ashley Wright
(Merrimack, N.H.), as the Gulls rallied from a five run deficit to
eliminate Husson University, 11-6, on Friday morning in NCAA
Regional Tournament action in Beverly, Mass. The win improves
the Gulls to 38-8 overall and pushes them into a Saturday match-up
with the loser of Friday's Coast Guard vs. Springfield contest.
Husson wasted no time getting to Endicott starter Jenna
Bortolotti (Milton, Mass.) as the Eagles' Casey Berry (Newcastle,
Maine) launched a solo homerun in the bottom of the first to put
Husson in front, 1-0. A four-run second, fueled by four hits
including a two RBI single to center by Megan Bradstreet (Warren,
Maine), upped the Eagles' advantage to 5-0.
Despite the large deficit, the Gulls proved worthy of the
challenge as the Blue and Green scored three times in the third and
then posted another three spot in the fourth. The Gulls strung
together three hits in the third frame, all while capitalizing on a
Husson error, and then played small-ball in the fourth by dropping
three-straight bunts that resulted in three runs.
The offensive onslaught continued in the fifth, sixth and
seventh, as Endicott scored a combined five runs in the final three
innings. Senior Jackie Collier (Swampscott, Mass.) took the ball
from Bortolotti in the fifth inning and proceeded to shut down the
Eagles' offense, holding Husson hitless in her 2.1 innings of work.
Wright led the way for the Gulls with a 4-for-4 morning that
featured two runs scored. Leadoff hitter Jenna Lazar (Milton,
Mass.) was 2-for-5 with three RBI while Meghan Sargent (Salisbury,
Mass.) went 3-for-4 with a run scored and one driven in.
Husson was paced offensively by Cassie Berry's two homeruns and
two RBI. Nicole Sargent (Sullivan, Maine) took the loss as she
surrendered eight runs on 12 hits. Husson ends its season at 26-16.