AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Suffolk baseball team was swept in a doubleheader action by Westfield State Thursday afternoon at Lake Myrtle Park. The Owls took game one, 12-3, before coming back in the sixth to defeat the Rams 5-3 in game two.
THE BASICS
GAME 1 SCORE: Suffolk 3, Westfield State 12
GAME 2 SCORE; Suffolk 3, Westfield State 5
RECORDS: Suffolk (3-4) | Westfield State (5-5-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1
After a scoreless first, Westfield put up one run in the second to break open the scoring. Suffolk could not figure out the arm of John Gegetskas, who sat down eight of the first nine Rams batters, and the Owls offense took advance with back-to-back multi-run innings in the third and fourth to put Suffolk in a 6-0 hole.
Westfield added another run in the fifth before extending its advantage to 12-0 behind a five-run sixth.
Suffolk was able to get on the scoreboard with a trio of runs in the home half of the sixth, but it would not be enough as the Owls held on for the 12-3 victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2
In the top of the third, Seth Coiley barreled a double down the rightfield line to bring in Trevor Lee, who reached on a walk, to give Suffolk a 1-0 lead.
Westfield responded in the home half of the fourth with a pair of runs, before the Rams regained a one-run cushion with two runs in the top of the fifth. Brady Chant and Coiley put together back-to-back singles and came in two batters late thanks to Rich Giandrea's double to left center to put the Rams in front 3-2.
A two-out fielding error by Suffolk in the sixth allowed the Owls to stay alive and put three runs on the board to shift the game in Westfield's favor, 5-3.
Chant drew a walk to put a base runner on, but the Rams could not rally as they fell, 5-3.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Ryan Pordes dipped to 0-1 on the season after game one's defeat. The senior RHP gave up 11 runs (8 earned) off 11 hits and three walks with three Ks to his credit in 5.1 frames of action.
- Johnny Maffei came out of the pen in the opener. The freshman allowed one run on five hits through 1.2 innings.
- In the nightcap, Mark Fusco threw a five-run, four-hit, two-walk, five-strikeout, 6.0-inning outing.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Coiley paced the Rams offense in the doubleheader with a 3-for-6 effort with two walks, one RBI and one run scored.
- Through the series, Chant went 3-for-7 at the plate with one run and one walk.
- Giandrea produced four RBI on a pair of hits.
COMING UP
Suffolk has its third double header of its Spring Break trip tomorrow, Friday, March 15 versus TCNJ. Game one is set for a 9 a.m. start.
