EAST BOSTON – Nine runs over the first five innings by the Lasers and limited offense from the Rams proved to be the difference in Suffolk baseball's season-opening 11-4 setback to Lasell Sunday afternoon at East Boston Memorial Park.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 4 | Lasell 11
RECORDS: Suffolk (0-1) | Lasell (3-0)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Lasell tacked on two runs in the top of the second thanks to a lead-off walk and back-to-back hits.
Suffolk responded in the home half of the inning. Max Iorio lined a one-out double down the left field line and came in thanks to Joe Norris's single to left to make it a 2-1 score.
The Lasers added to their advantage over the next two frames to make things lopsided, 8-1.
The Rams erased one run in the bottom of the fourth thanks to extra base hits. Max Martin barreled a triple to right field and coasted home on Sam Armbruster's stand-up two-bagger to the same spot.
Lasell got that tally back on a balk in the top of the fifth to turn it into a 9-2 gap.
After a scoreless sixth, Garret Roberts knocked a one-out triple to right center to get the Suffolk portion of the seventh started. The senior scored on Jonny Giblride's single to right, but the offensive output was stopped there as Lasell's defense secured the next two outs
The teams traded runs in the eighth. Suffolk's came off a Armbruster base hit that plated Norris. Norris reached on a walk and took second on a passed ball.
Lasell put up one more run in the top of the ninth and the Rmas could not capitalize on a Harry Painter triple to have things end in the Laser's favor, 11-4.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Roberts took the loss after giving up nine runs, eight earned, on nine hits and three walks with two punchouts in 4.0 innings.
- John McDevitt threw 3.0 innings of relief. He let up one unearned run on one hit, two walks and struck out two.
- Patrick Desmond (0 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K) and Ian Maude (2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 K) each tossed 1.0 inning of relief.
- Lasell's starter Matthew Fletcher put together a two-run, five-hit, two-walk, four-strikeout effort over 4.1 innings.
- Darek Lallo took the decision after 2.2 frames of relief in which he allowed one run on two hits.
- Brendan Zaleksij (1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) and Ty Lohsen (1 H, 2 K) came in for 1.0 innings each for the Lasers.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Suffolk's nine hits were scattered over seven bats.
- Lasell recorded 11 runs on 12 hits.
- Armbruster led Suffolk's offensive effort with a 2-for-3 showing that including a double. The sophomore brought in two runs and walked once.
- Roberts had two hits to his credit including a triple. The lead-off batter scored one run.
- Iorio and Martin had one hit and one run each. The former notched a double and the latter hit a triple.
- Norris provided one hit, one RBI, one walk and one run.
- Painter's only hit was a triple.
- Both teams had one error in the field.
NOTEWORTHY
- The Rams moved to 13-12 in the first game of the year dating back to 2000.
- Under Anthony Del Prete's guidance, the Rams are now 4-6 in game one.
- Suffolk began its season in New England for the first time since 2022.
- The blue-and-gold played in Eastie for the first time since 2021. That year Suffolk also hosted Lasell.
- The New England season opener marked the fifth in the opening day outing under Del Prete in New England.
- The Rams are now 1-5 in the first game in the Northeast with Del Prete on the bench.
- Suffolk moved to 32-4 all-time against Lasell.
- In the Del Prete era, Suffolk is now 18-4 versus the Lasers.
- Sorenti-Burns and Max Martin played in a Suffolk jersey for the first time in their collegiate careers.
- Braid made his Rams debut as a pinch hitter.
- Norris and Flynn started in their collegiate debuts.
- Desmond, Maude and McDevitt made their first collegiate appearances out of the pen.
- Jack Mihalchik made his collegiate debut in the outfield.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk and Lasell wrap up the Rams' season-opening double feature this afternoon.
