Boston, MA - The Suffolk University Softball team split with first place Emerson College in a GNAC double header on Friday during Suffolk Spirit Day. The Rams got a solid pitching performance in game two from freshman Carissa Roche (Swampscott, MA) as they took the night cap, 4-3.
Game 1
Emerson College defeated the Rams 3-2 in the first game of the double header. The Lions jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first. Freshman Kelsey Tuthill (Middlefield, CT) smacked a double to left to plate two runs and give Emerson the early 2-0 edge.
Suffolk got on the board in the third as senior Jess Ferreira (Cambridge, MA) drove home sophomore Monica Cioffi (East Boston, MA) with a single. Cioffi led the inning of with a single, before stealing second and came around to score Suffolk's first run.
Junior Nikki Battaglia (Freehold, NJ) singled in another run in the sixth for Emerson, which would turn out to be the game winner.
Suffolk had their chance in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with one out. Cioffi got the inning started with a single, and senior Marie Trainor (Winthrop, MA) followed her with an infield hit. Ferreira then drove in her second run of the game with a double to left. After intentionally walking senior Rebecca Schalit (Miami, FL) to set up the double play, Emerson pitcher Kelsey Tuthill retired the next two Rams hits to pick up her 12th victory of the season.
Game 2
Emerson jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning of game two, but Carissa Roche would settle down as the Rams scored twice in third and two more times in the sixth to manage a split in the double header.
Seniors Marie Trainor and Kellie Hurlock (East Lyme, CT) each had two hits a piece to help guide the Rams to their ninth win of the season in conference play. Suffolk now moves to 13-12 on the season, while Emerson's 13-3 mark within the GNAC ties them for first place.
Hurlock tripled in the sixth to put the Rams up 3-2, and then came around to score when junior Valerie Libertore (Chelsea, MA) drove her in reaching on an infield error.
Ferreira had an RBI triple in the third to knock in Suffolk's first run, to finish the day with 3 RBI in both games.
Suffolk will play again on Saturday as they travel to Maine to take on the St. Joseph's College Monks in a GNAC double header.