LEESBURG, Fla. – Suffolk softball fell in a hole early it never found its way out of as Adrian hit past the Rams, 10-2, Friday morning at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex at The Spring Games.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2 | Adrian 10
RECORDS: Suffolk (0-1) | Adrian (6-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bulldogs put up four unanswered runs in the first and third innings, respectively, to turn on the run rule.
Suffolk's started to scoring in the home half of the fourth. Lily Newhall reached on an error by Adrian's third baseman Peyton Russell to lead off the inning and two batters latter Ella Turnbull brought the first Rams run of the season in on a base hit to right field. The Bulldogs made a change in the circle to keep the blue-and-gold's offensive output limited to one.
Adrian used back-to-back bases loaded, fielder choice plays at home to grab the first outs of the fourth before Maddie Southers barreled a single to center to plate Jolie Quintana, who wore a pitch to reach base, to cut the deficit down to six, 8-2.
Two scoreless innings followed before the Bulldogs did more damage in the top of the seventh. The visitors used two hits and one error to tack on two more runs and restore the eight-run gap.
Julia Mills led off Suffolk's order with a stand-up double to left center. The Rams could not rally around the freshman's extra base hit, however, as Lily Gustafson, Lily Newhall and Zelin went down for the 10-2 final.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Suffolk starter Cynthia Rucinski took the loss after giving up four runs on four hits in 0.2 innings.
- Ashlyn Conley put together a six-run, eight-hit, one-walk, two-strikeout effort over 6.1 innings of relief.
- Kira Stacey earned the nod for the Bulldogs and compiled a one-run (unearned), six-hit, one-strikeout effort over 3.0 frames.
- Allie Tenhove (1 R, 1 H, 2 K) and Abbi Patton (1H, 2 K) each tossed 2.0 innings of relief and fanned a pair of batters apiece.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Southers went 2-for-4 at the dish with one RBI.
- Mills also batted 2-for-4 and had the Rams lone extra-base knock of the day.
- Turnbull tallied one hit and one RBI.
- Catherine Carignan and Gustafson supplied one hit each.
- Ashley Hubner and Quintana scored Suffolk's lone runs with one apiece.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk started the Megan Cook era.
- The Rams played Adrian for the first time.
- Cynthia Rucinski started in the circle in her collegiate debut.
- Mills made her collegiate debut in the starting line-up, while Hubner's first collegiate appearance was as a pinch runner.
- Sophomore transfer Newhall made her Suffolk debut.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Rams up day one at The Spring Games this afternoon versus Westminster. First pitch is scheduled for 2:45 p.m.
