HARWICH, Mass. – The sixth-seeded Suffolk baseball team fell in the NCAA New England regional winner's bracket final, 13-4, to the top seed, #17/19 UMass Boston Saturday night at Whitehouse Field.
The Rams are set for a Sunday showdown at 12 p.m. in a do-or-die with the winner of Saturday night's elimination game featuring fourth-seeded, #20/22 Salve Regina and fifth-seeded Babson.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 4, #17/19 UMass Boston 13
RECORDS: Suffolk (28-16) | #17/19 UMass Boston (36-10)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk had to make up ground early as UMass Boston struck early and often as 10 batters went to the dish in the first frame to take an early five-run lead. The Rams looked to get on the board in the home half of the inning, but the Beacons held two blue-and-gold runners on as Dan Mantoni sat down Greg Speliotis swinging to end the stanza.
UMass Boston scattered six runs over the next three innings to take an 11-0 advantage. Suffolk began to chip away at the deficit in the bottom of the fourth as Seth Coiley and Matt Brenner led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Speliotis followed with an infield single to load the bases and after an out Kevin Belskie delivered a two RBI single to right.
After a scoreless fifth, the Beacons added another pair of runs in the sixth. The Rams matched the runs with two of their own thanks to a sac fly from Belskie that plated Brenner, who led off with a single, and a fielder's choice from Kevin Higgins.
Suffolk would not make up any ground from there, however, as the Beacons kept the Rams quiet for the final 13-4 margin.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Brenner led the way offensively for Suffolk with a 2-for-3 effort with two runs.
- Speliotis matched Brenner's 2-for-3 day with one of his own to go along with one run.
- Coiley, Luke Ronchi, Belskie, Higgins and Curtis Tirone all produced one hit apiece with Coiley scoring one run.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Worth Walrod suffered the setback on the bump as the junior allowed 10 runs on 11 hits and one walk with one strikeout in 2.0 frames.
- Charles Batchelder came on in relief. The sophomore worked 6.2 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and three walks with three Ks.
- Tim Conroy secured the final out for the Rams in the ninth.
- Mantoni earned the win with a four-run (three earned), eight-hit, one-walk, three-strikeout day.
- Joe Maguire and Chris Munro came out of the pen for the Beacons. Maguire tossed a 2.0 scoreless stanzas, while Munro gave up just one hit in 1.0 innings.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk will play on Sunday of the NCAA Regional tournament for the first time.
POST-GAME PIC
COMING UP
Suffolk will play in a do-or-die contest tomorrow, Sunday, May 21 at 12 p.m. versus the winner of four-seed Salve Regina and fifth-seeded Babson, who square off tonight under the lights. The winner of Sunday's afternoon contest advances to the regional final and will take on the top seed Beacons of UMass at 4 p.m.
