BOSTON – Suffolk softball overcame a five-run deficit to force extra innings, but did not carry the momentum over and Johnson & Wales did to take down the Rams, 10-6, in the nightcap of a GNAC double feature Sunday afternoon at Robert Clemente Field.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 6 | Johnson & Wales 10
RECORDS: Suffolk (19-16, 9-5 GNAC) | Johnson & Wales (20-18, 11-5 GNAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Downed 2-0 after JWU put up a pair of runs in the second, the Rams diced the margin in half in the third. With two outs and a two bunt singles, Grace Boehler's single up the middle brought in Samantha Jacques to put Suffolk within one, 2-1. A line-up mix-up ended the inning with the go-ahead run at the plate.
Johnson & Wales put more distance between the foes in the fifth with three runs on three hits to extend their advantage to 5-1.
The Rams had a lot of ground to make up and did just that in the sixth. Boehler singled and worked her way to third on a passed ball and wild pitch before scoring on Jaclyn Flint's single to short. Flint advanced to second on the Wildcats' throw home when Boehler scored and Ashley Zulla traded places with the senior with a double to left center.
JWU brought Zoe Jennings to take over for Summer Ramundo, but Suffolk's comeback continued. A wild pitch allowed Zulla to take third and Kelly Keane scored the junior to make it a one-run ball game. With pinch runners on the bags for Keane and Brooke Cloak, who reached on a single up the middle, McKenzie McGrath's productive ground out relocated the runners 60 feet each and set up Jacques' game-tying sac fly to center.
With a new ball-game in place, Devin Scales opened the seventh with a double for the visitors. Constance Phelan kept her there, however, as she gained her composure and retired the side to keep things even at 5-all.
Another new arm came out of the Wildcats' pen, this time MJ Bourgeois took over the circle and did her job, sitting down the Rams in order to send the game into extra action.
With international tie-breaker in place, JWU's runner on second took third on a successful sac bunt and scored the go-ahead run a passed ball. The Wildcats kept the scoring going when Suffolk's starting twirler Kennedy Reyes re-entered the game to put the Rams in a five-run hole, 10-5. Suffolk's back was against the wall and it attempted to comeback once again. The Rams managed to get one run the board behind Keane's single through the right side, but was kept there after Cloak lined into a double play and McGrath flew out to short.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Phelan suffered the setback after 5.1 innings of relief work in which she allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks with one strikeout.
- Reyes let up five runs (three earned) on 10 hits with two punchouts in 2.2 innings of work.
- Bourgeois picked up the win for JWU with a one-run, one-hit effort over 2.0 innings.
- Ramundo started the game in the circle and gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits and sat down seven hitters in 5.0 frames.
- Jennings worked 1.0 inning in which she let up one run on two hits.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Keane had a 3-for-4 effort that included one double for two RBI.
- Boehler registered two hits, one RBI and one run scored.
- Flint scored twice to go along with one hit and one RBI.
- Karina Bua scored one run.
- Jacques tallied one hit, one run and one RBI.
- Murphy produced two hits.
- Cloak collected one hit.
POST-GAME PIC
COMING UP
Suffolk wraps up the regular-season, tomorrow, Monday, April 29 at Saint Joseph's (Maine). The Rams and Monks are scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch.
