It was a day for the underdogs at the Division 3 College World Series … and Endicott College made sure that trend continued deep into the night.
Playing the last of four games on the first day of the World Series, the Gulls began after 10 p.m. Eastern time but made sure it worth the wait for their fans back in Beverly by topping Salisbury, 5-1.
Seeded sixth in the eight team World Series and ranked No. 9 in the country, Endicott (41-11) advances to face No. 7 seeded Adrian on Saturday night. The winner of the double-elimination four-team pod between those two, Salisbury and Rowan will face the winner the other pod in a best-of-three set for the national title.
Brady Stuart, D3basbeall.com’s national Pitcher of the Year, struck out the side (all looking) in the first inning to set the tone for the Gulls. He wound up going six innings, striking out 11 and scattering four hits. Jake Harmony came on for the final three and was just as electric, fanning four and allowing just one baserunner.
“It was a great pitcher’s duel with 29 strikeouts combined between the two teams,” Endicott head coach Bryan Haley said. “The pitcher’s on the whole did an amazing job. Stu had electric stuff, pounded the zone and Jake was just as as good.”
Facing an All-American in Salisbury’s Aidan Brinsfield, who fanned 10, the Gulls tried to have a solid two-strike approach and did enough to get the job done.
“My aim was trying to give us a chance to compete,” said Stuart. “Go out and put up zero’s for as long as I can.”
Outhitting Salisbury 8-5, Endicott scored two in the opening inning and stretched its lead from there. AJ Hamm hit a triple and knocked in a run while Kyle Grabowski and John Fusco had two hits each. James Benestad and Adam Regan also recorded RBI.
Making their fourth straight College World Series appearance, Endicott has now won its opening game in three straight seasons. The lower-seeded team won all four Friday games and the last pitch of Endicott’s wasn’t until after 1 a.m. The experienced senior class no doubt helped the Gulls stay loose during the long wait.
“The whole senior class has been here all four years, so coming in with that experience was huge,” said Benestad. “We knew it would probably be a late start and we stayed ready to go. We feel confident going into each game.”