STANDISH, Maine – Suffolk softball secured a GNAC series sweep over Saint Joseph's (Maine) behind an 8-2 game 2 win against the Monks Monday night at Richard W. Bailey Field.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 8 | Saint Joseph's (Maine) 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (21-16, 11-5 GNAC) | Saint Joseph's (Maine) (10-21, 8-8 GNAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
St. Joe's made the first mark on the scoreboard in the home half of the first with a one-run single. Suffolk evened the score fairly quickly as a sac fly from McKenzie McGrath in the top of the second scored Kelly Keane, who led off the inning with a double, to deadlock the game at 1-all.
It was a standstill until the top of the fourth when the Rams put ground between themselves and SJC. Ashley Zulla led off with a double, moved 60 feet on Jaclyn Flint's productive ground out and scored on a Monks miscue during Keane's at bat. Brooke Cloak then sent the ball over the fence to score herself and Keane. The two-run shot stretched the score to 4-1 in the blue-and-gold's favor.
The Monks made up ground in the bottom of the fifth with a one-run single by Melodie Bailey to slice the margin in half, 4-2.
A scoreless sixth set-up a thrilling seventh for Suffolk. Back-to-back errors by the Monks followed by a base hit from Caitlin Murphy put all the ducks in the pond for the Rams. Grace Boehler started the scoring rally with a sac fly that scored Samantha Jacques before Zulla brought in a pair of runners with a double down the left field line. One out later, Keane matched Zulla's double with one of her to score the junior.
The four-run turned Suffolk's advantage to 8-2, which proved to be too much ground for the Monks to delete in the bottom of the seventh and the six-run distance remained the final score.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Constance Phelan put together a two-run, nine-hit, four-punchout, complete-game, winning effort.
- Caitlyn King suffered the setback after giving up four runs (three earned) on four hits and one walk with one strikeout in 4.0 innings.
- Madisyn Charest allowed four runs on four hits with two Ks over 3.0 frames of relief.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Keane and Zulla had identical stat lines of 2 doubles, two RBI and two runs scored apiece.
- Cloak also went 2-for-4 with one dinger, two RBI and one run scored.
- Murphy had ont hit and scored once.
- McGrath brought in one run on a sac fly and chipped in one hit.
- Jacques and Hailey Cockroft each scored once.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk swept St. Joseph's (Maine) for the second straight season and won its sixth straight game over the Monks to move to 17-19 all-time versus SJC.
- Cloak connected for her first collegiate homer.
- Keane and Zulla each matched a career-high two doubles.
POST-GAME PIC
COMING UP
With the second seed in the North Division secured, Suffolk will take on the winner of the third-seed, fourth-seed, play-in round matchup Thursday, May 2 at 4:30 p.m. at Clemente Field.