Rafferty tosses one-hitter as AMCATS split with Gulls

Box Scores: Game 1 / Game 2

Beverly, Mass. – The Endicott baseball team extended their winning streak to eight games with a 14-3 win over Anna Maria in game one of a conference doubleheader before a stellar pitching performance by Zach Rafferty (Worcester, Mass.) helped the visitors salvage a split. 

Game One Recap:  Endicott 12, Anna Maria 3

Freshman Jake Northrup (Boxborough, Mass.) drove in four runs while junior Colin Sitarz (West Hartford, Conn.) added three RBIs as the hosts cruised to a double-digit win. 

Sophomore Brendan Pittsley (Plympton, Mass.) improved to 3-2 on the year after six innings of three-hit ball.  Pittsley struck out five in the win while allowing one unearned run. 

Endicott jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after Northrup's sacrifice fly scored Danny Mello (Peabody, Mass.) from third. 

Sitarz drove in two with a single down the right field line in a three-run third inning to pad the lead.

The Gulls broke the game open with five runs in the bottom of the fourth before adding three in the fifth and two in the sixth. 

Carlos Ortiz (Worcester, Mass.) went 2-for-2 with an RBI to pace the AMCATS.

Sophomore first basemen Mike Griffin (Arlington, Mass.) finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored for the Blue and Green.

Game Two Recap:  Endicott 1, Anna Maria 2

Zach Rafferty carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before surrendering a bases-loaded double to Jake Northrup.  Rafferty went the distance, allowing one run on one hit and striking out five to improve to 6-5 on the year.

His counterpart, sophomore Tyler Hitchcock (Abington, Mass.) went six innings, scattering five hits and fanning five in the loss.

The AMCATS opened the scoring in the top of the third inning after Jim McNamara's (Worcester, Mass.) ground out to shortstop was enough to plate Mike Gaurnieri (Wallingford, Conn.) from third.

Jeff Kodys (Holden, Mass.) doubled the lead in the top of the sixth with a solo homerun that cleared the leftfield wall. 

The Gulls seemed poised for a late rally after Rafferty issued three consecutive walks to load the bases in the bottom of the sixth with just one out.  Northrup blasted a double to deep right-center, but a perfectly executed relay from the fence beat Mello to the plate and preserved a one run lead. 

Rafferty set the final four batters down in order to help the AMCATS improve to 16-10 and 9-5 in TCCC play.

Endicott (19-8, 11-3 TCCC) will look to start a new streak on Saturday (April 16) when it travels to Salve Regina for a conference doubleheader beginning at noon.  Anna Maria returns to action on Tuesday (April 12) when it hosts Roger Williams at 2:00 pm.

Release Courtesy of Endicott Sports Information

Photo Courtesy of David Sheridan for AMC Sports Information