#3 Gulls Sweep Vikings

Jose Rodriguez '24, Staff Writer | Media & Communications  

BEVERLY, Mass.- Robbie Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) went 1 for 4 with three runs batted in and a two-run home run during game one to give #3 Endicott a 5-1 win. During game two, Brendan O'Neil (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) went 2 for 5 with a three-run home run to lead the Gulls to an 11-3 victory and two-game sweep over North Shore rival Salem State on Sunday afternoon at North Field. Endicott goes to 3-0 while the Vikings dip to 1-2.   

Charlie Hale (Brookline, N.H.) picked up the win in the first game, going 4.1 innings in relief and allowing four hits and a walk while Salem State starter Brock Pare (Lowell, Mass.) took the loss after going 3.2 innings and allowing six hits, five runs, two earned with three strikeouts.  

In the second game, Nicolas Cannata (Marlborough, Mass.) earned the win pitching five innings with four hits and three runs allowed with six strikeouts.  Bobby Jellison (Salem, Mass.) recorded the loss for Salem State pitching 6.2 innings, giving up ten hits, six earned runs with four strikeouts.   

Game 1

In the first inning, Salem State had a hit-and-run with Antonio Belgrove (Stamford, Conn.) on first. Edward Field (Gloucester, Mass.) hit an opposite-field base hit which allowed Belgrove to advance to third. However, Owen Duggan's (Billerica, Mass.) 4-6-3 double play ended Salem State's opportunity to score in the top of the first inning. 

The Gulls took advantage of the Vikings' missed opportunity and scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning.  O'Neil's two-run home run to right field was the highlight of the inning, with all three runs being unearned for Salem State's starting pitcher Pare.

Mark Smith (East Haven, Conn.), during the top of the third inning, hit his first home run as a Viking with an opposite-field homer to right field. Belgrove nearly made it back-to-back home runs as his hit carried to the left-field wall, resulting in an opposite-field triple. Endicott's starting pitcher, Brady Stuard (Hudson, Mass.), was replaced by Charlie Hale (Brookline N.H.), who walked Field. However, a groundout to second base ended the inning. 

During the bottom half of the third inning, Endicott's Nicolas Notarangelo (Taunton, Mass.) walked, and Wladkowski followed with a two-run home run, extending the Gulls' lead to 5-1

During the fourth inning with two outs and a man on base, Kyle Banche (Torrington, Conn.) replaced starter Pare. Wladkowski was seeking a two-run home run, but Belgrove made a splendid play, robbing a home run by reaching well over the fence and bringing the ball back.  

Endicott threatened in the top of the sixth inning with two runners in scoring position, but Banche managed to strike out Notarangelo swinging to end the inning.

In the eighth inning, Endicott's Chris Jenkins (Mansfield, Mass.) replaced Hale, who had pitched 4.1 innings in relief. Salem State had two runners in scoring position, but Jenkins got himself out of trouble. Gonzalez's groundout to the shortstop and Elijah Moses's (Haverhill, Mass.) great catch prevented two more runs for Salem State.

Jenkins continued in the ninth for his second inning of work; with two outs Smith managed to hit a double to left field, but he allowed no further damage. The Vikings were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position throughout the first game of the doubleheader.

Game 2

Dylan Pacheco (Dartmouth, Mass.) led off the bottom of the first inning with a double to left field as Endicott jumped on top early. Two batters later, Notarangelo connected with a base hit up the middle that scored Pacheco from second base. Endicott had the bases loaded when Joey Frammartino (North Reading, Mass.) hit a two-run single, extending the Gulls' lead to 3-0 off starter Jellison.

Salem State was looking to make some noise in the top of the third with two men on and one out. Belgrove was at bat when Connor Dolan (Rockland, Mass.) scored on a wild pitch to cut the Gulls' lead to two. Field did not waste any time with two outs, swinging at the first pitch that he saw to score Smith from second. Duggan then ripped a double to center after a diving leap by Pacheco came up short to even up the score at three apiece.

In the top of the fifth inning, with two outs and Wladowski at first, O'Neil hit a base hit to centerfield. Wladawski tried going from first to third. However, Smith showed off his arm, throwing out Wladawski at third to get Salem State out of the inning. 

Cannata pitched five innings for the Gulls, giving up four hits, three runs, all of them earned, with six strikeouts. Kyan Bagshaw (Amhurst, N.H.) came on in relief and struck out two Vikings' hitters during the inning. 

In the seventh inning, Jellison got himself in trouble with one out. Pacheco and MacDougall connected with back-to-back doubles to give the Gulls a 4-3 lead. Two batters later, O'Neill crushed a three-run home run to break the game open, giving Endicott a 7-3 lead over the Vikings. 

Jake Boucher (Wallingford, Conn.) came on in relief, and Drew Metzdorf (Burlington, Mass.) struck out looking to end the inning. Boucher remained in the game for the eighth, giving up four unearned runs. Evan Scully (Maynard, Mass.) came in for the Gulls to get the final two outs of the ninth, after Bagshaw pitched 3.1 innings and struck out five.   

Salem State will be looking to bounce back when the team travels to Florida for spring break this upcoming Sunday, March 10th, to face North Central (Minn.) for a doubleheader.