SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (May 9, 2016) - The top-seeded Western New England University baseball team suffered its first defeat in the 2016 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament this afternoon, as the Golden Bears fell to second-seeded Endicott College, 9-2, at Trelease Park.
 
Western New England (30-10) will take on fourth-seeded Salve Regina tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. in an elimination game at Trelease Park, while Endicott (29-13) advances directly to Wednesday's championship round and is now one victory from claiming the CCC title.
 
Senior infielder Eduardo Colmenares (Caracas, Venezuela) drove in both of Western New England's runs with doubles in the third and fifth innings, respectively. Classmate Kevin Marciano (Pepperell, Mass.) also had two hits for the Golden Bears, while freshman outfielder Erik Lacaire (Worcester, Mass.) reached base three times with a single and two walks.
 
Endicott senior right-hander JJ Branch (Milford, Mass.) turned in a complete game performance, striking out eight batters and allowing two runs on eight hits with three walks.
 
Junior Mike Kochiss (Fairfield, Conn.) led the Gulls offensively, going 3-for-4 with a walk and three RBI. Sophomore Michael DeDonato (Chelmsford, Mass.) also posted a 3-for-4 effort with a walk, a double and four runs scored, while senior catcher Josh Drew (Intervale, N.H.) singled twice and scored a pair of runs.
 
Endicott loaded the bases in the top of the first inning, but managed to plate just one run on freshman Chris Seidl's (Dracut, Mass.) RBI fielder's choice. Kochiss doubled the Gulls' advantage with an RBI groundout in the top of the third, before Western New England broke through in the bottom half of the inning on Colmenares' RBI double into the gap in right center.
 
The visitors took control of the contest with five runs in the top of the fourth, however, opening up a 7-1 lead. Drew led off with a single and later scored on a Western New England error, while Kochiss added a two-run single later in the frame. Junior Cam Farnham (Andover, Mass.) drew a bases loaded walk for the Gulls' sixth run, and senior Matthew Paola (Middlebury, Conn.) reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Kochiss from third.
 
The two teams traded single runs in the fifth, and Endicott added one more in the eighth to cap the scoring.
 
Senior left-hander Tom Mahoney (Granville, Mass.) took the loss for the Golden Bears after surrendering seven runs (four earned) on seven hits in 3.1 innings of work. Freshman Liam Davey (Cheshire, Conn.) did a nice job in relief, allowing just one hit during his two scoreless frames on the mound.