Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Endicott College rode the strong pitching of senior Nell O'Connor and sophomore Courtney Blake to a 6-2, 9-0 doubleheader sweep of the University of New England in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) softball action Sunday afternoon (April 13) at Claude Dubois Field.

The Gulls improved their record to 17-6-1 overall while maintaining their lead atop the conference standings with a 9-1 mark. UNE drops back to 20-12 (10-6 CCC).

Endicott jumped out early in game one, forging a 5-0 lead after two innings. In the first inning, sophomore Sam DiBella singled home senior Jesse Bilafer, who had drawn a leadoff walk. One inning later, the Gulls scored four unearned runs after a UNE miscue on a sacrifice bunt with runners on first and second. The big blow came with the bases loaded when senior Alex Moise cleared the sacks with a base hit to center. She was thrown out trying to advance to second on the play, but not before Endicott had built a 5-0 advantage.

UNE broke into the scoring column in the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore Amanda Vallante led off with a double to right-center. She moved up to third on a groundout, then came across on junior Adrienne Chase's one-out grounder to second base.

The Gulls got that run back in their next at-bat as sophomore Emily Hoffman singled through the left side to score Moise. 

Big Blue scored one more time in the home half of the sixth when senior Jessica Potter pushed home Vallante with a bases-loaded groundout.

O'Connor improved her record to 8-1 with a four-hit performance. She worked her way around five walks while striking out three.

Offensively, Moise had two of the Gulls' nine hits, and Bilafer scored twice.

Vallante had a pair of doubles for UNE, while sophomore Abby Lambert was the pitcher of record. Lambert allowed six runs (2 earned) over the first five innings.

Blake held the Nor'easters off the scoreboard in the nightcap to keep her record unblemished at 5-0. She allowed six hits and no walks while striking out three.

The Gulls would get all the runs they would need in the first inning. Hoffman had a two-run triple, and first-year Rachel Couto provided a RBI double.

Endicott pushed across single runs in the third and fourth before putting the game away with a four-run seventh frame. DiBella had a two-run drive over the left-field fence to account for half of the Gulls' four runs in the seventh.

DiBella, Bilafer, Couto and first-year Chrissy Gikas had two hits apiece to fuel Endicott's 11-hit attack. Moise scored three times for the Gulls, who drew nine walks.

Vallante and sophomore Kelly Murphy each had two hits for UNE. Sophomore Lauren Doneski took the loss in the circle to drop her record to 8-4. She surrendered four earned runs over the first five innings before giving way to first-year Katelyn Austin.

Endicott returns to action Tuesday (April 15) with a non-conference doubleheader at Babson College starting at 3 p.m.

Next up for the Nor'easters is a CCC home twinbill Wednesday (April 16) versus Eastern Nazarene College. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.