NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – The Suffolk baseball team took the lead in the top of the 13th, but a costly error by the Rams tied things up again before a bases loaded walk allowed Anna Maria to walk off with the 4-3 victory over the blue-and-gold to open the GNAC doubleheader at the New England Baseball Complex Thursday afternoon.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3, Anna Maria 4
RECORDS: Suffolk (11-15, 5-1 GNAC) | Anna Maria (11-18, 2-5 GNAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Back-to-back doubles to lead off the game put the Rams on the scoreboard in the top of the first. Brady Chant led off the conference contest with a knock for two bags down the left field line and Trevor Lee followed suit with a double down the opposite side of the field to make it a 1-0 Suffolk game early.
Anna Maria answered in the home half of the second and gained a one-run margin as the AMCATs capitalized on a pair of Rams' mistakes to cross the plate twice.
With the Rams down by one, Will Hopkins sent a shot out of the park to level the playing field at 2 runs apiece.
From there the score stood still and fans were in store for extra baseball as neither team took advantage of base runners and 2's remained on either side of the scoreboard after seven complete frames.
Suffolk saw a prime opportunity for to bring in the go-ahead run as it juiced the bags with none down in the top of the 10th. The AMCATs helped off the Rams as it took the next three batters down in order to keep things even.
An inning later, the blue-and-gold found itself with the bases chucked once again. This time, two outs were on the board, however, and Anna Maria secured the final down of the frame to keep their chances alive thanks to an unassisted first base ground out.
Suffolk finally capitalized on base runners in the top of the 13th. Shane Lake reached first on a muffed throw by the AMCATs first baseman. Ben Isaak wore a pitch to move Lake over before Chant knocked a single to center field to bring in Lake and give the Rams a 3-2 edge. Chant stole second and third in an attempt to give the Rams an insurance run, but Anna Maria kept the one-run game in tact to set up its walk-off effort.
With two outs on the scoreboard, the AMCATS loaded the bases. A throwing error by the Rams third baseman let the tying-run in before Rich Giandrea walked Jake Crevier to let Anna Maria go-ahead, 4-3, for the victory.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Tyler Zell got the start for Suffolk. He allowed two runs on six hits and three walks and struck out four in the first 5.2 innings of work.
- Ryan Pordes came on in relief. The senior RHP gave up just one hit and two walks and sat down one hitter through 2.1 frames.
- Rich Giandrea closed the game for the Rams and suffered the setback after letting in a pair of runs on three hits and four walks despite fanning three batters.
- Anna Maria had three different arms work the hill as well. Daniel Chambers earned the win behind a one-run, one-hit, two-walk, two-strikeout relief effort of 3.0 innings.
STATISTISCALLY SPEAKING
- A trio of Rams had multi-hit performances.
- Chant led the way with two hits, two walks, one RBI, one run and a pair of steals.
- Lee recorded two hits, one RBI and one stolen base.
- Rich Gilbride tallied two hits.
- Hopkins lone hit of the outing went over the fence.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk and Anna Maria went into extra innings for the first time in the all-time series.
- Hopkins went yard for the first time in his collegiate career.
- Lake scored the first run of his collegiate career.
- Gilbride matched a career-high two hits.
POST-GAME PIC
COMING UP
After a marathon game one, Suffolk and Anna Maria clash in the nightcap to complete the two-game conference series.