Baseball Drops Both CCC Games at Endicott

BEVERLY, Mass. (April 2, 2022) – The Western New England baseball team took to the road for the first conference games of the season, dropping both decisions to the hosting Endicott College Gulls. 

Records:

• Western New England: 9-7 (1-2 CCC)
• Endicott College 15-4 (2-0 CCC)

Game 1: Endicott College 7, Western New England 4

Western New England saw the Gulls pick up a quick three runs to start the bottom of the first inning, after Jake Nardone connected for a three-run homerun off Kevin Hummer to give the Gulls a 3-0 lead. The Gulls would put the first two of three batters on base to open the game before Nardone connected for the blast to center field. WNE came back in the top of the second inning for two runs after Sean Jamieson walked, and Cody Waterbury was able to single through the hole between short stop and third base and into left field for a single. Paul Villecco would come away with a two RBI double for the Golden Bears, scoring both Waterbury, and Jamieson to cut down the Gulls lead to just one, at 3-2.

The pitchers would take over the middle innings until Western New England took their first lead of the game when Ben Harrison delivered a one out RBI single up the middle of the field to center field which scored Jake Balderston to even the score. The Golden Beats would load the bases and Vincent Caccavale would take a base on balls, forcing in CJ Wills to give Western New England a 4-3 lead in the fourth. In the bottom half of the inning, the Gulls would get a run back and even the score after Dylan Pacheco hit a home run to right center field to tie the game at four. After no runs were scored in the fifth, Endicott would rear back and grab their third home run of the contest as Nickolas Perkins would go bridge, a two-run home run to give the Gulls a 6-4 lead. 

The Gulls would grab an insurance run in the bottom of the 8^th inning on an RBI single which scored one, to give Endicott a 7-4 lead. Western New England would come up short in the top of the 9^th inning, as WNE put one aboard, though could not come away with a run, falling to the Gulls 7-4. 

Around the Park:

• Western New England punched out ten hits in game one of the doubleheader, coming away with just four runs and did not commit an error. Endicott scored seven times on nine hits and committed no errors. 
• Sean Jamieson and CJ Willis collected two hits each for WNE. Paul Villecco had two RBIs in the loss. 
• SP Kevin Hummer went seven innings for WNE giving up seven hits, six runs, all earned, while walking one and striking out seven.  Hummer allowed three home runs on the afternoon. 

Game 2: Endicott College 15, Western New England 3

The Golden Bears opened the top of the first inning with a two-run home run to take an early lead on Endicott, going ahead 2-0. From there, Endicott would grab a stranglehold on the contest, coming away with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-2 lead on SP Robert Zawacki and the Golden Bears. Caleb Shpur, Jake Nardone, and Nikolas Perkins would all come away with RBIs in the inning to help the Gulls take their first lead of the contest. In the bottom of the second John Mulready would lead off with a solo home run to left center field, while Nicolas Notarangleo would single to right field to give Endicott a 6-2 lead. Western New England would load the bases in the top of the third in an attempt to make a comeback, as they were able to pick up one run on a bases loaded walk to Vincent Caccavale to give WNE a three-run deficit. Endciott would quickly get that run back in the bottom half of the inning as Dylan Pacheco went yard to left field, scoring three added runs for the Gulls and chasing Zawacki out of the contest. 

In the seven-inning game, Endicott would add an additional five runs in the bottom of the fifth and two in the bottom of the 6^th as Western New England would have no answer to the hot bats of the Gulls on the afternoon as Endicott connected for six long balls in game two and nine in total in the doubleheader, as EC would take a 15-3 win over WNE, sweeping the twin ball. 

Around the Horn:

• Sean Jamieson connected on WNE's lone home run of the contest, hitting a two-run shot in the top of the first. 
• WNE pitching allowed 19 hits and 15 earned runs in the second contest.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears head to Wentworth Institute on Tuesday, April 5 at 6:30 pm for a single CCC game. 
• Endicott travels to UMass-Boston on the same date at 3:00 pm.