Endicott College scores four times in the top of the seventh inning on Thursday, and defeated #12 Husson 7-4 in the opening game of the NCAA Division Softball Regional Tournament at O’Keefe Field in Bangor.
The Eagles struck for a run in the bottom of the first on a RBI double from Lydia Rice (Winthrop). The Gulls came alive with a three run third with Ella Tower doing most of the damage by slapping a two-run single to right for a 3-1 advantage. Husson was resilient as they came back with their own three spot in the fourth on a infield RBI single by Sophia Lynch (Bangor), and a two-run triple from Morgan Tainter and jumped back in front 4-3. It stayed that way until the top of the seventh. Endicott got a runner immediately when the leadoff hitter Abby McClaflin reached on an error. After a sacrifice bunt for the first out, Maddie Beeley walked. Both McClaflin and Beeley would end up coming across the plate on a two-run single by Tower that ended up as the game winner. Vania Monez added the insurance with a two out, two-run double.
Tower led the Gulls offense with the two key hits and four RBI. McClaflin and Elyse Saccoccio added two hits a piece. McClaflin and Beeley scored two runs each. Kristen Beebe pitched the final two innings and got the win in the circle. Endicott (27-13) advances into a winners bracket game against MIT at 11 a.m. on Friday. Lynch and Tainter had two hits each for the Eagles, with Tainter knocking in two. Ana Lang (Searsport) suffered just her fourth pitching loss of the season (23-4) as she went the distance allowing seven runs (just three earned) on eight hits with six walks and six strikeouts. Lang threw 152 pitches, 89 for strikes. Husson (36-5), who had their 15 game win streak snapped, will now try to avoid elimination in a losers bracket game against Colby on Friday at 1:30.
