Endicott Scores Twice in 8th to Defeat Baseball 7-5

Winter Haven, Fla. – The Framingham State University baseball team surrendered a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as they were defeated 7-5 by Endicott College at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational this afternoon.

The Gulls put a pair of runs on the board in the bottom of the first, but the Rams matched that with two in the top of the third to tie the score at 2-2.  Sophomore Matt Gerard (Milford, Mass.) led off the inning with a single and moved to second when Mark Mainini (Hull, Mass.) walked.  Sophomore Cam Couillard (North Andover, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases and senior Will Crofton (Hopkinton, Mass.) was hit a batter later sending Gerard home.  Junior Ivan Colon (Waltham, Mass.) followed with a sacrifice fly that plated Mainini.

Endicott went ahead with a run in the fifth, but a Mainini sacrifice fly in the sixth tied the game at thee all.  Endicott answered with two in the bottom of the frame to retake the lead.

The Rams countered with single runs in the seventh and eighth retying the game yet again.  Junior Anthony Iafolla (Medfield, Mass.) plated the run in the seventh on an RBI single, while Gerard scored from third on a pass ball in the eight after working a walk.

The tie would not last as the Gulls plated two in the bottom of the eighth off relief pitcher Kevin Valley (Burlington, Mass.) to pick up the win.

Valley was tagged with the loss surrendering two runs on two hits in an inning of work.  Colon started the game on the hill for the Rams and went 4 and 2/3s allowing three runs, all earned, on five hits.