Senior Mike Cunningham (Syosset, N.Y.) drilled an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the tenth inning as the Suffolk University Baseball team topped the College of New Jersey, 8-7 on Thursday afternoon in ten innings.
Suffolk overcame a four run hole early on, and erased a three run deficit in the bottom of the ninth as they win their fifth consecutive game moving to a 5-1 record to start the 2013 season.
Cunningham finished the day 3-for-5 with three RBI, while junior Jake Cintolo (Wrentham, Mass.) collected three hits and scored a pair of runs to lead Suffolk offensively.
TCNJ jumped out early in the top of the first inning as they drew a pair of walks to start off the game. Sophomore Josh Limon (Eastmeadow, N.J.) drove in the first runs of the game as he drove a 2-2 pitch to deep right to give the Lions a 2-0 edge.
Limon would get things started for the Lions in the fourth as he led the inning off with a single. Limon would come around later in the inning scoring on a groundout before sophomore Jake DeWitt (Florence, N.J.) singled up the middle as TCNJ built a 4-0 lead through the first three and a half innings of play.
Suffolk would answer in the bottom half of the fourth when junior Devan Jones (Roslindale, Mass.) doubled to left to start the inning. Sophomore Mac Jacobson (Norfolk, Mass.) then walked to give the Rams a pair of runners on base. A wild pitch and an overthrow to third would plate Jones for the first run of the day for Suffolk before Cunningham grabbed his first RBI in the game with a single up the middle to plate Jacobson.
Cunningham would get Suffolk back within one in the bottom of the sixth as he drove in Cintolo with an RBI double. Cintolo led the inning off with a double to right center to start the sixth.
New Jersey would score a run in each of the final three innings. They took advantage of a throwing error in the seventh to build their lead back to two runs, before Cintolo's RBI single in the bottom half of the inning would bring the Rams back within one.
Suffolk would help give the Lions some more space in the eighth inning as a bases loaded walk to freshman John Rizzi (Long Hill, N.J.) with two outs made it a 6-4 game. The Rams couldn't help themselves in the bottom half of the inning either as they loaded the bases with one out but could not score.
Limon added some insurance in the ninth with an RBI single to center, his fourth hit of the day to give TCNJ the three run lead.
Suffolk rallied in the bottom of the ninth however as they were able to load the bases with no outs. Jacobson led the inning off with a single to right, before a walk to Cintolo while Cunningham was hit by a pitch bringing the tying run on base. Senior Chris Stanley (Placentia, Calif.) then singled to left to bring the first run of the inning home for Suffolk. Junior James McConville (Medford, Mass.) then came up with a pinch-hit single to plate Cintolo before junior Mike Muse (Milton, Mass.) capped the rally off with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Jones got things started again for Suffolk to lead the top of the tenth inning as he was hit by a pitch. After a sacrifice bunt by Jacobson to move Jones up to scoring position, Cintolo singled to left to bring runners on the corners with one out for Cunningham. Cunningham then lined the second pitch of the at bat he saw to plate Jones giving Suffolk the walk-off win.
Junior Frank Tierney (Hyde Park, Mass.) pitched a scoreless tenth inning for Suffolk to record the victory.
Senior Jhonneris Mendez (Boston, Mass.) started for Suffolk on the mound throwing seven innings, allowing four earned runs while striking out four on six hits as he picked up his second no-decision in as many starts this season.
Jones finished the day with a pair of hits and three runs scored, while Jacobson and Cintolo both scored two runs for Suffolk.
Suffolk will continue their spring trip on Friday afternoon as they take on Keene State College at 11:00am at Pat Thomas Stadium.