WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Worth Walrod (2-0) struck out seven over seven innings and Jon Lapolla had three hits to lead the Suffolk baseball team to its seventh win of the year following a7-3 triumph over UMass Boston Thursday morning at Chain O'Lakes Complex in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
Walrod scattered no runs on four hits over the first 7.0 innings, striking out seven and walking one to win his second start.
Lapolla had a day with the senior captain putting together a 3-for-3 performance at the plate, hitting a double, triple and a high-flying solo shot to left field and a sac fly for four RBI to go along with three runs of his own. Jake Frasca joined Lapolla with a multi-hit game as the freshman went 2-for-3 with one RBI, while Brady Chant (1-for-4, 1R), Rob Marks (1-for-4), Seth Coiley (1-for-2, 1R, 2 walks), Sean Cameron (1-for-4, 1 walk) and Zach Grogan (1-for-1, 1R, 1 RBI) all recorded a hit. Grogan's second collegiate hit went over the fences for the first homer of his career.
Suffolk (7-2), who has won six of its seven in the Sunshine State, opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first. With two outs, Coiley drew a walk and Lapolla's bat quickly brought him in with a double to center field. Frasca followed suit with a double of his own and Lapolla crossed home to make it 2-0 in favor of the Rams quickly.
After a scoreless second, the Rams struck again in the third. Lapolla's bat was once again responsible with the Providence, Rhode Island local putting a sac fly to right field to bring in Chant to move the score to 3-0.
Lapolla homered to leadoff the sixth and the deficit quickly blossomed to 4-0 where it stood until the top of the eighth. UMass (5-5) earned a run, but Lapolla ignited a three-run eighth inning on a RBI triple and the Rams' defense limited the Beacons to two tallies in the ninth to secure the 7-3 triumph.
Suffolk continues its southern trip tomorrow versus Kalamazoo at 3 p.m.