Cambridge, MA - The 2009 Suffolk University Baseball (30-8) team became just the third team in Suffolk's 62-year program history to reach the 30-win mark in a season as the Rams defeated MIT (24-14), 8-3 Sunday afternoon in Cambridge. Senior Tim Doyle (Milton, MA) continued to dazzle on the mound as he pushed his season record to 7-0, going 8 innings only allowing three hits and two earned runs. Suffolk finished the game with 10-hits which is the 25th time this season their lineup has produced double digit totals for hits in a game.
The Rams got on the board early taking advantage of a wild start from MIT's Ryan Munoz (Plantation, FL). After junior Rory Gentile (Newburyport, MA) reached on an outfield error, the Rams drew three consecutive walks. Senior Keith Carter (Newburyport, MA) drew a bases loaded walk to plate the game's first run, and then sophomore Jon Handy (South Burlington, VT) drove home senior Paul Vittozzi (North Reading, MA) with a sacrifice fly to center.
Suffolk continued to put runs up early as freshman Dan Belanger (Raynham, MA) doubled with two outs in the second and came around to score on a single to left by Gentile. The Rams tacked on two more runs in the third much the same way as they scored in the first. Senior Mike Kenneally (Georgetown, MA) drew a bases loaded walk, and senior Anthony Iacopucci (Medford, MA) drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to center.
Doyle cruised early on not allowing a hit until the 5th inning. The Engineers were able to put three runs across in during that inning taking advantage of some shaky defense by the Rams. MIT was able to load the bases with one out in the inning after two ground balls were kicked in the infield. Sophomore Ryne Barry (Phoenix, AZ) drove in MIT's first run with a single to left followed by an infield single by junior Stewart Park (Brooklyn, NY) to produce another run. Doyle then forced in a run with a bases loaded walk of his own to freshman Brad Macomber (Los Altos, CA) to make the score 5-3.
MIT was able to keep the game close by a strong relief appearance by senior Stephen Toth (Walden, NY). Toth cruised through the middle innings only allowing two hits through his first four innings of work. The Rams finally got to Toth in the eighth as they plated a pair of runs to give them some insurance.
Dan Belanger picked up his second hit of the day singling to right to drive home Iacopucci and Paul Vittozzi added another run with a single later in the inning. Iacopucci picked up an RBI single in the ninth to finish the day with a pair of runs batted in.
Sophomore Alex Torres (Framingham, MA) made his ninth appearance of the season pitching the ninth inning for the Rams. Carter and Belanger each had a pair of hits for Suffolk.
The Rams will play again on Tuesday as they host Worcester State College at 4:00 pm at Adams Field in Quincy.