AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The No. 24 Suffolk baseball team could not overcome an early deficit as Rutgers Camden took down the Rams, 14-5, Friday afternoon at Lake Myrtle Park Field apart of the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
THE BASICS
SCORE: No. 24 Suffolk 5, Rutgers Camden 14
RECORDS: No. 24 Suffolk (4-4) | Rutgers Camden (7-4)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Rutgers Camden hit early and often to take an early 5-0 lead after the top of the first that blossomed to a 14-0 advantage after five complete innings.
Suffolk got on the board in the bottom of the sixth thanks to an RBI single from Kevin Belskie that scored BJ Neil, who got on thanks to an error by the Raptors second baseman. The Rams' offense started firing on all cylinders in the seventh. Connor Troio led off with a triple down the left line and came in on Sean Cameron's single. Neil reached again on an error, this time by the first baseman, before Brady Chant mirrored Troio's triple with one of his own to bring in Cameron and Neil. After the Raptors made a change on the mound, Belskie notched his second RBI of the day with a single up the middle to score Chant and move the score to 14-5.
The distance proved too much for the blue-and-gold, however, as Rutgers Camden held off a Suffolk comeback to capture the 14-5 triumph.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Suffolk's nine hits came off the bats of seven different Rams. Cameron (2-4) and Belskie (2-5) produced two apiece with Neil, Chant, Lee, Troio and Curtis Tirone all recording one hit apiece.
- Chant and Belskie had two RBI apiece with Cameron adding one.
- Neil led the blue-and-gold with two runs with Chant, Kevin Higgins and Troio also crossing home plate for Suffolk.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Kevin Sinatra suffered his first collegiate setback on the bump. The sophomore tossed 2.1 innings, letting up 11 runs on eight hits and sat down two hitters.
- Tim Conroy tossed 2.2 ininngs of relief, giving up three runs on six hits.
- Tyler Zell worked the final 4.0 innings, keeping the Raptors scoreless and allowed just one hit. The sophomore sat down four batters.
- Zach Welsher earned the win for Rutgers Camden, letting up five runs, three earned, on six hits in 6.2 innings, in which he struck out 10.
NOTEABLE
- The Rams rocketed two triples for the second straight outing and third time this season.
POST-GAME PICTURE
WHAT'S NEXT
Suffolk concludes action in the Sunshine State tomorrow as it takes on No. 13 TCNJ at 12:30 p.m.
