BOSTON - The Suffolk softball team ran its win streak to six Thursday afternoon as the Rams posted two wins in non-conference doubleheader against Salem State at East Boston Memorial Park. Suffolk won the opener, 7-2, and sealed the sweep with a 5-4 closer.
GAME ONE: SUFFOLK 7, SALEM 2
In the first half of the doubleheader, Suffolk smacked three doubles and Kim Crucioli gave up only two runs in a 7-1 Rams win.
After two scoreless innings, the Rams broke open a scoreless game. With the bases loaded, Devlin Frost knocked a double to center field and brought in Madison Eucalitto and Meredith Ball in the process. Two at bats later, Delaney Sylvester hit a two RBI double of her own straight down the right field line, scoring Sydney Littlefield and Frost to give a 4-0 lead.
Suffolk stretched its advantaged to seven in the following inning. Evelyn Marquis came in on an error by Salem State's pitcher Lleish Burney. After Littlefield hit an infield single, Frost drove in another run, her third of the day, on her second double of the game with two outs, making it a 6-0 game. Littlefield scored on Jill Pulek's single to blow open the game for the Rams, 7-0.
The visiting Vikings notched one run in the fifth and sixth, respectively, and held the Rams scoreless to keep the game alive. Crucioli allowed one baserunner in the top of the seventh, but got out of the game unharmed as Suffolk held on for the five-run win. The junior pitcher earned her fourth victory of the season, going a complete 7.0 innings, giving up two runs on six hits and one strikeout.
At the plate, Littlefield and Frost each had multi-hit games with Littlefield going a perfect 4-for-4. Frost led the way with RBI (3), while Sylvester had two to her credit.
GAME 2: SUFFOLK 5, SALEM STATE 4
In her first collegiate start, Jaclyn Flint earned the victory, the freshman's second, throwing 3.0 innings. Taylor Holmes replaced Flint in the fourth inning, after allowing three runs on five hits. The sophomore hurler got out of a tough spot, with a runner on first and no outs, and went the remainder of the way, allowing one run on four hits and struck out two to pick up her second save of the year.
Suffolk's bats hit early and strong as the Rams built a 3-0 lead in the first. Pulek's double up the middle brought in Flint, who doubled to get on base, to start the scoring. Sylvester drove in the next two runs at the next at bat with the sophomore knocking in Frost and Pulek with a single to center.
The Rams' 3-0 cushion held until the Vikings' struck in the third with one run, but Suffolk immediately answered with two of its own to make it a 5-1 game. Pulek's pop up to second scored Flint, before Sylvester recorded her second RBI of the contest, a single to right center.
Salem made things interesting with a couple runs in the fourth and one more in the sixth, but Suffolk sealed its 22nd win of the year on an unassisted play by Lindsay Pagano.
Flint, Pulek, Sylvester and Parmeter all had two hits in the closer, with Sylvester responsible for three runs and Pulek credited with two RBI.
Suffolk takes a day off, before a highly anticipated weekend of the GNAC's top teams. The Rams will first host the University of St. Joseph's (Conn.), before entertain Saint Joseph's College (Maine) this weekend.