Game Seven: #1 Endicott 7, #3 Johnson & Wales 1

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The NCAA Division 3 Bridgewater Regional began on a down note for the Endicott College baseball team on Friday morning.

The top-seeded Gulls lost the opener of the double-elimination tournament to host Bridgewater State University, making them the first team to go into the loser's bracket of the four-team regional.

But that turned out to be the only negative during the four-day tourney for Endicott.

The Gulls rebounded from the day one loss by winning four straight games to take the Bridgewater Regional and advance to this week's Super Regional.

Endicott completed its trip out of the loser's bracket with a pair of wins over Johnson & Wales University on Monday afternoon at Alumni Park.

After fighting off elimination in the opener, 10-4, the Gulls defeated the Wildcats, 7-1, for the championship.

Endicott (43-7), one of 16 teams remaining in the national tourney, will host a best-of-three series starting Friday afternoon against Ithaca College.

It marks the second straight appearance in the Super Regional for the Gulls, who lost to Baldwin Wallace University.

It is the second year in a row that Endicott came out of the loser's bracket to win a regional. The Gulls defeated Cortland twice in the championship round in 2002.

That experience was helpful this time around as nationally ranked Endicott put together a four-game winning streak to keep its season going.

"I just think they know how good they are and they know if they stick together and support each other and kind of have fun and focus throughout the course of the game, they're usually going to win the game,'' said Endicott coach Bryan Haley. "I just think we're really prepared to deal with adversity.

"Any time we've lost, we've bounced right back and played a great game. These guys understand it's on to the next one. They keep a good perspective.''

The Gulls won once each on Saturday and Sunday before defeating Johnson & Wales twice.

"Definitely a shock for us,'' said senior outfielder Caleb Shpur of the loss to start the regional, "but we've been down before. Last year, we did the same thing. We were just trying to win each inning and it got us here.

"Backs against the wall, knowing how to do it, I think it helped us a lot.''

In the championship game, Endicott scored in each of the first five innings to take a 6-1 lead over the Wildcats (30-15).

The Gulls went ahead, 2-0, in the bottom of the first inning as Shpur had a one-out double to left-center and scored on a two-out double to right-center by Robbie Wladkowski.

DH Danny MacDougall, a sophomore from Taunton who hit a team-best .421 in the regional, then delivered the third double of the inning to left field for the two-run lead.

In the second, Jake Nardone led with a double to left, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single to center by John Mulready.

The lead went to 3-0 in the third when MacDougall singled to left, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Mulready.

In the fourth, Joey Millar, Shpur and Nic Notarangelo drew walks and MacDougall brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to right.

Johnson & Wales (30-15) made it 5-1 in the fifth inning as Thorin Sanchez-Guerra was hit by a pitch, went to second on a walk and scored on a two-out single to right by Trevor Juan.

Endicott responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth when T.J. Liponis doubled to left-center and scored on a two-out single to center by Millar.

The Gulls finished their scoring in the eighth when Millar walked, went to second on a groundout and scored on a double down the left-field line by Wladkowski.

Endicott finished with 12 hits, seven of them doubles.

Winning pitcher Gabe Van Emon (9-1) struck out five and allowed two hits in 3 2-3 innings of relief of starter Nick Cannata (one run, one hit in 4 1-3 innings). Van Emon started the tournament opener against BSU.

"Definitely expecting (to pitch again),'' said Van Emon. "I wanted to do everything to compete and win a regional.''

After losing two games in the Super Regional a year ago, the Gulls are ready for a return trip.

"I think any time you've been somewhere before, you feel comfortable with it. It's not new,'' said Haley. "You're not getting surprised by what comes at you. We do have an unfinished business meter of about 100 from last year.

"I know Ithaca's a perennial national contender. They're a great program.

We're excited about that. I think any time we play in Beverly in front of our fans, we're in a good spot. It'll be a battle. I think we know we're getting into another dogfight with another great team but we'll be ready.''