BEVERLY, Mass. (May 10, 2026) – The Western New England baseball team saw its 2026 season come to a close on Sunday afternoon from North Field on the campus of Endicott College, as the Gulls pulled out two wins, 7-4 in game one, and 3-1 in game two, to steal the Conference of New England Championship from the Golden Bears, who end the season 24-20 overall.
Records:
- No. 3 Western New England: 24-20
- No. 1 Endicott College: 35-9
How it Happened (Game 1):
First Inning:
- Endicott elected to start sophomore Max Jarvie to begin the game, while the Golden Bears countered with sophomore Jack Lewis, with an underclassman battle on the hill. WNE was set down in order in the top of the third, while Endicott put the leadoff batter on when Adam Regan singled, but Lewis settled in quickly, getting the next three Gulls, keeping the game scoreless.
Third Inning:
- Western New England opened the top of the third frame with a walk to Noah Schermerhorn, while Jack Gamache doubled down the left field line to put a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs. Jarvie threw a four-pitch walk to load the bases, and then tossed a wild pitch to give Western New England its first run of the game, taking a 1-0 lead. Jarvie got a strikeout, but the last batter he would face would do damage, as Tyler Kornacki ripped a two-RBI double into the right-center field gap, bringing home two runs, giving the Golden Bears a 3-0 lead. WNE threatened for more after Jarvie left the game as Leo Paragarino singled to put runners on the corners, but EC relief pitcher Jake Harmony got WNE to bounce into a double play to end the top of the frame.
- Jack Lewis continued to command the strike zone for the Golden Bears, sitting Endicott down in order in the third.
Fifth Inning:
- After holding off the Gulls through four innings, Lewis and the Golden Bears couldn't keep Endicott from scoring in the fifth. Endicott punched back for four runs in the frame to take a 4-3 lead. Endicott rallied with two outs, scoring all four runs with two down in the inning as Cade Bernardo singled home a run, which then followed a three-run home run from Brendan Walsh, giving the Gulls a 4-3 lead.
Sixth Inning:
- It didn't take long for the Golden Bears to get a run back on the scoreboard as Connor Cowern laced a one-out double to left field, while Greg Nivison followed with an RBI single, tying the game at four. WNE threatened for more runs in the inning, but couldn't add anything more than the one.
- Lucas Kamoen entered the game in the bottom of the sixth and stranded one on the bases, getting a key strikeout to end the inning, keeping the game tied at four.
Seventh Inning:
- Western New England's pitching escaped a jam in the bottom of the seventh after Kyle Grabowski and Cade Bernardo walked, but Brody Rogers came up with back-to-back big outs, including a flyout to the warning track, keeping the game tied at four.
Eighth Inning:
- Endicott put up three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on one swing of the bat when Adam Regan sent a three-run home run over the fences to give Endicott the lead off Brody Rogers.
Ninth Inning:
- Trailing by three with three outs remaining, Western New England went down in order, grounding out, popping out, and flying out, as the Gulls forced the if-necessary game with the 7-4 win.
Inside the Lines:
- The Golden Bears held a 3-0 lead heading into the fifth before two big hits, one from Cade Bernardo and another from Brendan Walsh, gave the Gulls the lead. Greg Nivison responded with an RBI single to tie the game, but a three-run home run from Adam Regan would be all the Gulls needed to come away with the win.
- Tyler Kornacki was the lone Golden Bear with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
- WNE produced seven hits overall in the contest.
- Jack Lewis lasted the first five innings, giving up six hits and four runs, walking one and striking out three. Lucas Kamoen lasted 1.1 innings, didn't give up any hits, walked one, and struck out two. Brody Rogers suffered the loss, giving up three hits and three runs over 1.2 innings pitched.
- Endicott's Jake Harmony went 6.2 innings out of the bullpen, giving up just five hits and a run, walking one, and striking out two.
- After Friday's 7-4 win for WNE over the Gulls, the Gulls flipped the score on WNE, forcing a winner-take-all championship game.
How it Happened (Game 2 – Winner-Take-All)
First Inning:
- Western New England had runners on base right away in the first inning as Tyler Kornacki reached on an error and both Leo Paragarino and Corey Kilroy were hit by pitches, loading the bases with two outs, but Endicott's starter Evan Scully got out of the inning with a strikeout, keeping the Golden Bears off the scoreboard.
- Endicott also had runners on in the inning, but Colby DiMenna got a groundout to end the threat, keeping the championship finale deadlocked at zero.
Third Inning:
- Western New England's first hit didn't come until the top of the third inning when Ryan Montini cracked a solo home run on a full count, giving the Golden Bears a 1-0 lead.
Fourth Inning:
- Endicott responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth, getting a two-out home run from Cade Bernardo, tying the score at one after four frames.
Sixth Inning:
- Western New England saw Tyler Kornacki triple with one out in the top of the inning, but the runner 90 feet from scoring was left stranded, as Endicott's Scully got a pair of ground outs to end the inning unscathed.
- Endicott took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when Kyle Grabowski singled with the bases loaded and no outs, giving the Gulls a 2-1 lead. Greg Nivison replaced Colby DiMenna and got three strikeouts to keep the Gulls ahead by one after six innings.
Eighth Inning:
- Endicott added an insurance mark in the bottom of the eighth when Cade Bernardo continued to produce for the Gulls, picking up an RBI single, giving Endicott a 3-1 lead.
Ninth Inning:
- Chasing two runs, WNE went down in order, compiling just two hits in the game, falling by a final score of 3-1.
Inside the Lines:
- Ryan Montini and Tyler Kornacki were the lone Golden Bears to pick up hits in today's second game, a home run from Montini and triple from Kornacki.
- Colby DiMenna lasted five plus innings, giving up six hits and two runs, walking one and striking out five. Greg Nivison finished out the game, giving up three hits, a run, and striking out four.
- WNE had no hits over the final three innings, as Endicott's Colby Correia closed out the game, his third save of the year.
- Today ends the 2026 season for WNE, who fall to 24-20 on the year, going just 5-11 away from Trelease Park.
