Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Endicott College 5, Eastern Conn. 3
McDaniel College 6, Eastern Conn. 5

LEESBURG, Fla. – For the second time in two days Thursday, the Eastern Connecticut State University softball team staged an improbable seventh-inning, game-tying rally, and for the second time in two days, the Warriors came away with nothing tangible for their efforts.

A day after scoring two runs after there were two out and none on in the top of the seventh inning in a 6-5 eight-inning loss to the University of Chicago, Eastern struck for four tying runs in the top of the seventh inning against McDaniel College, only to lose its third by walk-off in the first five days of the season, also by a 6-5 score.

In the first game of the day at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex, Eastern (2-6) played come-from-behind again after allowing two first-inning runs, but watched as Endicott College (4-3) scored the tying and go-ahead runs in the top of the sixth inning, fueled by Eastern's inning-opening infield error in a 5-3 victory over the Warriors.

Eastern closes out its Florida trip Friday at Legends Way Field in Clermont against Hope College at 2 p.m. and the University of New England at 4:30 p.m.

McDaniel College 6, Eastern Conn. 5

McDaniel freshman righty Cameron Kelly (2-0) spun a five-hitter through six innings as the Green Terror carried a 5-1 lead into the seventh inning before the Warriors tied the game on four hits and a walk. With two out, relief pitcher Alexa Boone (Danbury) drove the first pitch she saw up the middle to plate   first baseman Maggie Rubeck (Easthampton, MA) with the tying run. Rubeck had singled in pinch runner Abby Thompson (Westborough, MA) and third baseman Sam Healy (Cranston, RI) with the second and third runs of the inning.

McDaniel's (6-4-1) Kelly won her own game in the bottom of the seventh inning on her two-out, wind-aided triple to right on the first pitch that she saw from Boone (0-2). Boone had relieved freshman righty Michaella Bowen (Hudson, NH) in the top of the fifth inning while McDaniel was pushing across two runs on a one-out single, wild pitch, and No. 3 hitter Bella Sylvester's triple down the first field line to move out to a 5-1 lead.

Catcher and cleanup hitter Maddy Bowen (Hudson, NH) reached three times with two walks, and her double to center had ignited the seventh-inning rally by sending home pinch runner Jordan Bennett (Plainville, MA) with the first run. Thompson later scored as Maddy Bowen's pinch runner for the second run of the inning.

Endicott College 5, Eastern Conn. 3

Two hits, a walk and two sacrifice flies staked Endicott to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but first-year righty Elizabeth Mitchell (Coventry) settled down to limit the Gulls to one hit and two baserunners over the next four innings. While Mitchell was handcuffing Endicott, Eastern tied the game with two runs in the third  on RBI singles by Maddy Bowen and Rubeck. The Warriors went ahead, 3-2, with an unearned run in the fourth when No. 9 hitter Julia Boya (Coventry) reached on a one-out infield error, stole second and came home on successive wild pitches.

With a chance to add another run to its 3-2 lead, an Eastern batter was called for interference and pinch runner Bennett called out attempting to advance to third when a pitch from relief pitcher Analise Grady got loose from Endicott catcher Dani Lear.

Maddy Bowen reached four times in the game with two singles, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.

Thursday's Highlights

On the afternoon, Eastern's defense committed only one error and while the offense batted only .246, the Warriors were 8-of-9 on stolen base attempts… Maddy Bowen reached seven times with a double, two singles, three walks and a HBP, and drove in two runs… sophomore shortstop Kaley Laird (Bristol) reached four times with two singles, a triple and walk, and scored two runs and had six assists in the field, while senior second baseman Maddi Sauve (Mansfield) reached three times with a single, double and walk and handled six defensive chances without an error… first-year third baseman Sam Healy (Cranston, RI) played perfect defense, with six assists… trailing 3-0 against McDaniel in the third inning, Eastern turned its seventh double play in eight games, with Michaella Bowen inducing a 6-4-3 twin killing started by Laird at short and relayed to first baseman Rubeck by Sauve at second.