BEVERLY, Mass. – In a game that lasted just two hours and five minutes, the Endicott baseball team dropped a 3-1 decision to the visiting Worcester State Lancers in non-conference action Friday afternoon at North Field.

Through his first five batters faced, Gulls' freshman starter A.J. Hendrickson (Meriden, Conn.) recorded five outs on just 11 pitches before Worcester State's freshman centerfielder Mike Ferrara (Easton, Mass.) took Hendrickson deep to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second.

The Lancers tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth when junior catcher Brian Bonacquisti's (Pittsfield, Mass.) sacrifice fly to center field with one out plated freshman designated hitter George Bielizna (Danbury, Conn.), followed by freshman first baseman Matt Sabourin's (Stow, Mass.) bunt single that squeezed home junior shortstop Mike Powers (Weymouth, Mass.).

Trailing 3-0 heading to the bottom of the ninth, Endicott was able to break up the shutout with junior pinch-hitter Cam Farnham's (Andover, Mass.) first double of the season as the ball soared into deep left field with no outs to bring home sophomore center fielder Nick Berno (St. Albans, Vt.) for the Gulls' lone run of the day.

For the Lancers, Ferrara paced the squad with a 4-for-4 effort at the dish as the Lancers registered seven hits. Ferrara smacked his first career home run over the left field fence in the second inning to end Hendrickson's perfect-game bid.

Worcester's sophomore pitcher, Matt Irzyk (Westfield, Mass.) improved to 2-0 on the season as he went eight innings on the rubber and scattered five hits while allowing just one run as he walked two and sat down five by way of the K. Junior southpaw Andrew Reed (Douglas, Mass.) earned his first save on the year as he got all three outs in the ninth while giving up just one hit and struck out one.

For the Gulls, Hendrickson made his first collegiate start in his fourth overall appearance (1-1) as he was handed the loss today on four innings pitched, five hits, three runs, one walk and two strikeouts. Junior righty Colby Morris (Newburyport, Mass.) and classmate Eric Nagle (Manchester, Conn.) combined for five innings of two-hit ball in relief as they allowed just three baserunners, with singles in the seventh and ninth and Nagle's hit batter in the ninth inning.

Endicott (9-7, 0-0 CCC) returns to action on Sunday, April 10 as the Gulls welcome Roger Williams University to North Field to open Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play at 12:00 p.m. Worcester St. (9-9, 0-0 MASCAC) hosts Westfield St. in their first conference doubleheader on Saturday, April 9 with the first pitch set for 12:00 p.m. 

Release Courtesy of Endicott Sports Information