MYRTLE BEACH – In a see-saw affair that the lead exchange five times, Suffolk came out on top over Mt. Aloysius, 7-6, Monday afternoon at Crosley Field as part of the Ripken Experience.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 7 | Mt. Aloysius 6
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-2) | Mt. Aloysius (4-3)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Michael Muscarella dealt a six-pitch first frame to help set up an early offensive attack as Garret Roberts launched a solo shot to get the game going. The sophomore barreled the second pitch he saw over the left center field fence to make it 1-0 Suffolk with one inning in the books.
The Mounties pushed a pair across two innings later to flip the script in their favor, 2-1. Mt. Aloysius looked to stretch the gap even further in the fourth as Muscarella found himself with the bases chucked. The senior pitched his way out of it with a swinging K and long out to left to keep the one-game margin in tack.
A Rams response came in the home half of the inning. Luke Harder opened the frame with a single to right and a costly error by the Mounties' short stop put runners in the corners for Suffolk. Joe Ward brought a run in with his ground out to second and Harry Painter followed with an RBI on a base hit to left to restore the advantage for the Rams, 3-2.
Suffolk padded the margin with a pair of runs in the fifth. Blase Cormier, Dylan January and Jonny Gilbride all knocked a single to open the inning. Cormier scored on Gilbride's single to right field. That run forced Mt. Aloysius to make a change on the hill as Tyler Quade came in to deal. Roberts kept the hitting stretch going as he struck a one-bagger of his own to bring in Gilbride and extend the edge to 5-2.
Dingers dented Suffolk's cushion in the sixth. Zack Peck homered to left to open the inning and three batters later Joshua Brown did the same to, this time he brought in two teammates, both who singled, with him, move the Mounties.
Mt. Aloysius did not lead for long as the Rams continued the pattern of scoring two runs for the third straight inning to put themselves back in front, 7-6. Ward worked a walk to get on base, moved to third courtesy of Painter's double to right and sauntered in on Cormier's single to right. January's single through the left side plated Painter and the lead exchanged for the fifth time on the day.
Shawn Nosky, who took over for Muscarella in the middle of the sixth shoved a scoreless seventh, before Roberts took over the rubber in the eighth. The positional pitcher did his job as he retired the side to keep Suffolk ahead.
Things remained that way as the Rams went down in order and Roberts showed his composure on the hill even after hitting a batter to allow a base runner to lock up the victory.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Nosky notched the victory behind a two-hit, four-strikeout, 2.0-inning relief performance.
- Roberts registered a save with 2.0 frames of scoreless, hitless action with one punchout.
- In the start, Muscarella allowed six runs, five earned, on six hits and three walks to go along with five Ks.
- Creek Miller took the loss after letting up two runs on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts in 4.0 frames.
- Quade, Mt. Aloysius' starter, let up five runs, four earned, on six hits with one strikeout.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Four different Rams had two hits, while six different batters brought in a run.
- Roberts went 2-for-4 at the dish with one bomb to go along with a pair of RBI and one run scored.
- Painter also went 2-for-4 with an extra-base hit, a double. The designated hitter added one RBI and one run.
- Cormier and January each contributed two hits, one RBI and one run.
- Harder and Seariac supplied one hit and one run apiece.
- Gilbride brought in one run on one hit.
- Ward logged one RBI on one walk and scored once.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk met Mt. Aloysius for the first time in program history.
- January made his first Suffolk start behind the dish.
- January tallied his first collegiate hit(s), RBI and run scored.
- Nosky has now struck out four batters in both of his appearances this season. The four Ks match a career-high for the junior. He has fanned a quartet of hitters three times.
- Nosky has not given up a run in his 4.2 innings of work this season.
- Roberts made his pitching Rams' debut.
- Roberts registered a personal-best in hits (2) and RBI (2).
- Roberts homered for the first time in his collegiate career.
- Painter matched a career-high in hits (2), RBI (1), while he posted his first double and run scored of his Suffolk career.
- Harder, Gilbride Painter and Seariac have notched a hit in all four of Suffolk's games this season.
POST-GAME PIC
WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk is scheduled to take on Westminster in a doubleheader tomorrow, Tuesday, March 15 at 6 p.m. at Ebbets Field a part of the Ripken Experience.
