EAST BOSTON – Suffolk baseball locked up a GNAC series sweep over Colby Sawyer Sunday afternoon behind an 8-3 triumph in game two at East Boston Memorial Park.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 8 | Colby Sawyer 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (13-7-1, 6-0 GNAC) | Colby Sawyer (3-14, 1-3 GNAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a scoreless first, each team put one run on the board in the second. Tim Brigham led off with a ground-rule double to right center, Rich Giandrea pushed him over with a sac bunt and Ben Isaak brought him in with a 63 ground out.
The Rams erased the equalized score in the next inning with a pair of tallies to take a 3-1 edge. Trevor Lee opened the ingle with a single to center and easily scored on Blase Cormier's triple to center field. Two batters later, Brigham sacrificed himself to bring in Cormier.
Colby Sawyer responded to the Rams runs with one of its own to cut the blue-and-gold's lead to 3-2 after three innings.
Suffolk put more distance between itself and the Chargers in the fifth as Hopkins scored on Giandrea's single to left. The Rams' centerfielder took advantage of a CSC error to reach base and worked his way around the bags on a stolen base and a Brigham base hit.
Things really turned Suffolk's way in the sixth. With two dead, Lee singled to right center, stole second and turned on the wheels to score on Cormier's single to left field. After Hopkins drew a base on balls, the Chargers brought Derek Griffin to pitch. Off Griffin's first pitch of the day, Brigham sent an unquestionable homer over the left field fence to extend margin to six, 8-2.
Zeros went on the board over the next two half innings before a Rams' error allowed the Chargers to tact on one run in the bottom of the seventh for the final 8-3 margin.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Steven Rossi kept his record (4-0) unblemished this season after shoving a two-run (one-earned), four-hit, two-walk, two-strikeout, 4.0-inning outing.
- Michael Muscarella picked up his first collegiate save with a one-run, two-hit, one-punchout effort over 3.0 frames.
- Tim Unczur suffered his first setback of the year after giving up seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits, four walks with three Ks in 5.2 innings.
- Griffin toosed 1.1 innings of relief in which he let up one run on two hits.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Brigham and Lee were each perfect at the plate with 3-for-3 efforts, respectively.
- Out of Brigham's three hits, one went over the fence and one was good for two bags. The junior supplied four RBI, two runs and one sac fly.
- Lee, meanwhile, scored twice and stole two bases.
- Cormier produced multiple hits as well with two hits, one triple, for two RBI and two runs.
- Hopkins scored twice and swiped one base.
- Isaak's only hit on the day was a double. The sophomore added one RBI.
- Daniel Pooler produced one hit as a pinch hitter.
- Giandrea recorded one hit and one RBI.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk swept Colby Sawyer to move to 2-0 versus the Chargers as conference competition.
- The Rams moved to 3-1 all-time against Colby Sawyer.
- In the Anthony Del Prete era, Suffolk is unbeaten (2-0) against the Chargers.
- Brigham had his third homer of the season.
- Brigham matched a personal-best in hits (3) and total bases (7) and set a new career-high in RBI with four.
- Lee matched a career-high in hits (3) and stolen bases (2).
POST-GAME PIC
WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk steps away from conference competition Wednesday, April 3 when it makes the trip to Endicott. The midweek match is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.
