NEWTON, Mass. – The Suffolk softball blanked Mount Ida, 2-0, in the nightcap of a GNAC doubleheader at the Mustangs Softball Field Saturday afternoon behind a complete-game shutout effort by senior twirler Taylor Holmes.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2, Mount Ida 0
RECORDS: Suffolk (21-7, 14-2 GNAC) | Mount Ida (12-18, 6-8 GNAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Holmes commanded the circle and kept the Rams in the game. The pitcher did not let up a base runner until the third frame when she was backed up by the blue-and-gold's defense to keep the scoreless battle going.
Two innings later Suffolk rallied around McKenzie McGrath's lead-off double. Freshman Hailey Cockroft replaced the junior third baseman on the bags and advanced to third behind Madison Eucalitto's single to right field. The Mustangs put two outs on the board before Sydney Littlefield drew a walk to keep the Rams' offense going. With all the ducks in the pone, Devlin Frost knocked a base hit through the ride side to put the first run on the board.
In the bottom of the fifth, Holmes maintained the one-run edge as the rightie arm fanned three Mustang bats all swinging.
A scoreless fifth was followed by a one-run Suffolk seventh. Payton Sylvester started things as the freshman used small ball and her speed for a base hit. A fielder's choice placed Payton Sylvester in scoring position and Jaclyn Flint scored the runner on a single to center to push the Rams' lead to 2-0.
Holmes once again stood tall in the home half of the seventh with a three-up, three-down frame to lock up the conference victory for the Rams.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Holmes shutout day came on a five-hit, one-walk, eight-strikeout performance.
- Madeleine Smith fell to 5-8 on the season after allowing two runs on 10 hits and one walk with six Ks to her credit.
STATISCALLY SPEAKING
- Payton Sylvester was one of three Rams to record a pair of hits as the shortstop went 2-for-4 with one run.
- Her sister, catcher Delaney Sylvester, also went 2-for-4 at the dish, while McGrath put together a 2-for-3 showing at the dish. The senior and junior each recorded one double.
- Frost and Flint each notched one RBI on one hit days.
NOTEWORTHY
- The Rams swept the Mustangs for the
- Suffolk remained unbeaten all time versus Mount Ida under Jaclyn Davis' guidance, winning its 13th straight game versus the Mustangs to improve to 18-3 all-time.
- Suffolk blanked Mount Ida for the third time overall and first time since shutting out the Mustangs, 1-0, April 11, 2014.
- The blue-and-gold has swept Mount Ida for the sixth consecutive campaign and eighth time overall.
- Holmes pitched her third complete-game shutout of the season and eighth of her career.
- Holmes' three shutouts in one season tie for the seventh-best all time, while she now sits third in career shutouts with eight to her credit.
POST-GAME PIC
COMING UP
Suffolk will salute its Senior Class tomorrow, Sunday, April 22 when it entertains Albertus Magnus at East Boston memorial Park at 12 p.m.
