BIDDEFORD, Maine – Suffolk softball's bats lacked vigor, while the University of New England's struck early and often, which resulted in an 11-0, five-inning Rams setback in the nightcap of a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) double feature Sunday after Nor'Easter Diamond.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 0 | University of New England 11
RECORDS: Suffolk (14-6, 5-1 CCC) | University of New England (11-15, 5-3 CCC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNE tacked on two runs in the first inning behind a hit by pitch, a walk and three singles.
Two innings later, the Nor'Easters scored seven to turn on the mercy rule.
After the Rams went down in order in the top of the fourth, the host added two more to its advantage in the home half of the inning.
Down 11-0, Suffolk's offense lacked to get going in the fifth as Jordan Strum retired the side to secure the run-rule victory for the University of New England.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Kennedy Reyes suffered the setback after giving up four runs on five hits and three walks with two punchouts in 2.0 innings.
- Ava Brandow (1.0 IP, 5 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 K) and Julia Newcomb (1.0 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 1 BB) each threw 1.0 inning of relief.
- Strum registered a three-hit, no-walk, six-strikeout, five-inning shutout.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Brandow, Lily Gustafson and Alexa White were responsible for Suffolk's three hits.
NOTEWORTHY
- A mercy-rule decision was put together for the first time in the Suffolk, UNE all-time series.
- It was the second shutout in the Rams, Nor'Easter series.
- UNE owns both decisions when an opponent is kept off the scoreboard in the Suffolk, Nor'Easter all-time meetings.
- Brandon extended her hit streak to five games. She has seven hits in that span.
- Gustafson has produced a hit safely in each of the last three games. In that stretch she has five hits.
POST-GAME PIC
WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk meets Western New England in a rescheduled game Wednesday, April 13 at East Boston Memorial Park. The CCC doubleheader has a 3 p.m. game one first pitch.
