CLERMONT, Fla. – Suffolk softball racked up 15 hits en route to a 12-4 victory over Mt. St. Mary's Sunday at Legends Way at The Spring Games.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 12 | Mount St. Mary's 4
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-3) | Mount St. Mary's (0-2)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Mount St. Mary's started out hot with a pair of runs off four hits in the first frame. 

Becky Zellin's two-out, two-run homer in the top of the second leveled the playing field. The senior lobbed the ball over left field and brought in Lily Gustafson, who knocked a base hit up the middle, to tie things at 2-all.  

The Rams went ahead in the fourth. Gustafson factored into the scoring once again. This time the shortstop brought the run in on a single through the left side. She scored pinch runner Ashley Hubner, who took Ella Turnbull's spot on second after the first baseman reached on a fielder's choice and got into scoring position on Ava Brandow's infield single. 

Suffolk extended its advantage in the fifth on three hits and one Knights' fielding mishap. Catherine Carignan started things off with a single to center and moved over when Julia Mills laid down a bunt to sacrifice herself. Lily O'Neil laid down a bunt for a base hit to send Carignan to third. Diana Rucinski took O'Neil's spot on the bag and swiftly swiped second.  A dropped ball by Mount St. Mary's first baseman allowed both Carignan and Diana Rucinski to score to push the gap to three, 5-2.  

The Knights knocked the distance down to one in the home half of the fifth behind three hits and one Rams error. Lily Newhall came in to shove for Cynthia Rucinski and stopped the damage there.  

Extra insurance came in the sixth. Maddie Southers doubled to left center, advanced to third thanks to Carignan's single to right and got under the throw at home on a fielder's choice when Mills put the ball in play to lengthen the lead to 6-4.

The scoring did not stop there as Suffolk doubled the distance in the seventh. The six Suffolk runs came in on six hits bookended by a one-run double from Zellin and a two-run two-bagger by Turnbull. Jolia Quintana, Carignan and Mills all brought in one run each in the rally on base hits.  

Newhall shoved a shutdown seventh with a pair of swinging Ks to seal up the win. 

PITCHER'S PICTURE

• Newhall earned the decision behind 2.1 scoreless innings of relief. She gave up three runs and fanned three batters. 
• Cynthia Rucinski compiled a four-run (two-earned), six-hit, two-walk, three-strikeout effort over 4.2 innings. 
• Grace Macdonald took the loss after allowing 12 runs, 10 earned, on 15 hits and four walks with a pair of punchouts in 6.2 innings. 
• Dana Donnelly came out of the pen for 0.1 inning.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Gustafson and Carigan both went 3-for-3. Carignan chipped in two walks, two runs, one RBI and one stolen base, while Gustafson had two RBI, two runs, one walk and two stolen bases. 
• Zellin had a hot bat with both of her hits good for extra bases, a double and homer. She brought in three runs and scored two herself. 
• Southers supplied a 2-for-3 effort that featured one double and added two runs scored. 
• Brandow pitched in two hits and one run. 
• Mills added two RBI on one hit and one run. 
• Turnbull tallied three RBI and one hit.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Mount St. Mary's met for the first time. 
• The Rams 12 runs and 15 hits are the most under Megan Cook's guidance.
• Suffolk had double figure hits for the third straight game. 
• The 12 runs scored are the most for Suffolk since it put up 12 in a 12-1 victory at UMass Boston April 19, 2022. 
• Carignan matched a career-high in hits (3), runs scored (2), and stolen bases (1) and set a new personal-best in walks (2) and stolen bases (2). 
• Carignan has hit in all five of Suffolk's game this year. She is on a six-game hit streak that dates back to May 10, 2023. In that span she has 10 hits. 
• Mills set a new career-high in RBI with two. 
• Zellin hit the second homer of her collegiate career. She is the first Ram to knock a ball out of the park in the Cook era. The junior matched a career-high in hits (2), homers (1), doubles (1), RBI (3) and runs scored (2). 
• Hubner has scored one run as a pinch runner in every game played on Suffolk's schedule. 
• Turnbull brought in a career-high three runs. 
• Gustafson has had multiple hits in both games. She matched a career-high in hits (3) and runs scored (2) and set a new personal-best in stolen bases (2). 
• Diana Rucinski and Turnbull both stole the first base of their collegiate career. 
• Southers tied a career-high two runs scored. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk wraps up its third day at the Spring Games versus Haverford under the lights tonight.