Softball Falls in CCC Championship Series to Endicott

BEVERLY Mass. (May 7, 2022) – The Western New England Softball team were eliminated by the Endicott College Gulls in the CCC Championship Series after two games, losing the first 6-5, and the second 11-3 after six innings to close out their 2022 season.

Records:

• Western New England: 28-15
• Endicott College: 30-11

Game 1: Endicott 6, Western New England 5

The ball game was a battle until the end. The Golden Bears would be the first to put a point on the board in the top of the second. A double from Alex Ferriouolo and a single from Madison Mason led to a WNE run. In the bottom, Endicott tied it up after a few fielding errors to give the game a 1-1 score. The Golden Bears took another lead after the top of the third. With one strikeout, Paige Baca was walked, Dina DiBlasio hit a single, and another double from Ferriouolo, to center field, let The Golden Bears earn two more runs. They now had a 3-1 advantage over the Gulls. Endicott brought it back within one point in the bottom of the fourth. They had a couple runners on base when Taylor Chelak picked up an RBI before a runner picked up their third out at home plate. The score of the game was 2-1 after the fourth, Golden Bears ahead.

The sixth inning was the game changer. Things seem to be going the Golden Bears way in the top of the inning. Leading off was Ferriouolo who hit a single to left center. After one out, Mason hit a huge homerun that gave her two RBIs and WNE two more tallies on the board, and a 5-2 game. The Gulls put up a fight in the bottom. Their first out of the inning came at homeplate, but still had the bases loaded. Chloe Shapleigh up to bat, sealed the deal with a grand slam that put them ahead for the first time in the ballgame. Endicott took a 6-5 lead heading into the top of the seventh. The Golden Bears just couldn't make it past first base in the final inning. The first round of the CCC championship game ended with a Gulls win in a close one, 6-5 final score.  

Behind The Box score:

• The Golden Bears were led by Madison Mason who had three RBIs, including a homerun. She was 2-3 at bat and completed a run.
• Alex Ferriouolo contributed with two RBIs and was 3-3 at bat, also with two doubles.
• Starting Pitcher Megan Beebe pitched in 6.0 innings, faced 29 batters, allowed six runs, and had four strikeouts.
• The Golden Bears had five runs on nine hits and allowed six runs on eight hits.

Game 2: Endicott 11, Western new England 3

Endicott would be the first to earn a run in the bottom of the first inning in the second game of the CCC championship series. The Golden Bears fought back by putting up two runs in the top of the second. The team effort started with Kailey Carrano hitting a single to left center. Alex Ferriouolo smashed a double hit down the infield line, and Madison Mason repeated her, but added two RBIs in the process. Endicott unable to score in the bottom kept it 2-1 WNE game. In the top of the third, Ferriouolo, consistent for a double hit RBI, gave the Golden Bears another run and a 3-1 lead. The Gulls returned in the bottom to put up two runs of their own, not making it easy for the Golden Bears, and the game was tied up at 3-3. Endicott shut out WNE for the rest of the ballgame.

In the top of the fourth, a double play gave the Golden Bears their last couple of outs with one left on base and no runs. The Gulls took back the lead in the bottom. With two outs, a double and a single led them back around all the bases for another run, and a 4-3 advantage. The top of the fifth did not go in favor of the Golden Bears and they concluded the top with no runs. Endicott again changing the pace of the game, had a five-run inning in the bottom. The batter leading off was struck out before three single hits, an error, a hit by pitch, and a double gave them the opportunity to make it past home five times. The Gulls took a huge lead of 8-3. The ballgame concluded after six innings of play. The Golden Bears could not get a hit in, in the top, and the Gulls had a walk off hit from Christina Norwicki on a double for two RBIs that brought them up nine with only one out. The Golden Bears season closes out in the CCC Championship series to Endicott after two games with the last score being 11-3.

Inside The Diamond:

• Western New England's Madison Mason picked up two more RBIs in game two, had a double hit while going 1-3 at bat.
• Alex Ferriouolo added the other Golden Bear RBI, going 2-3 at bat, with two double hits and a completed run.
• The Golden Bears had three runs on five hits and allowed  11 runs on 15 hits.

Up Next: This is the final game for the Golden Bears in the 2022 season. They made it to the CCC Championship as the second seed in the conference, and a season record of 28-15.