BOSTON – Behind a stellar performance from Ryan Pordes on the mound, the Suffolk baseball team secured its second straight victory as the Rams defeated UMass Boston, 3-1, Wednesday night at Monan Park in non-conference action.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3, UMass Boston 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (6-6) | UMass Boston (10-6)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Brady Chant started right from the get go with the junior knocking a triple to centerfield to lead off the contest. Sean Cameron sent a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Chant and open up the scoring. 

Ryan Pordes controlled the contest over the next few innings with the hurler sitting down five of the Beacon's first seven hitters, three looking, through the first two innings. The junior right handed pitcher continued to deal a near perfect game taking down UMass in order yet again in the bottom of the third, before Suffolk stretched its advantage in the top of the fourth. 

With one out on the board Kevin Belskie sent a single to left field and advanced thanks to a walk by Curtis Tirone. A passed ball moved the runners over and a ground out from Zach Grogan made it a 2-0 game. Chant added to his stat line with an RBI single, plating Tirone for the 3-run margin. 

The score stood at a standstill from there with Pordes holding the Beacons with just one run through seven innings. Offensively, the Rams found themselves in a two-out, bases loaded situation in the top of the eighth with pinch hitter Connor Troio at the plate. The rookie rattled off a drive down the left field line, but Ryan McCormick made the diving play to hold the score at 3-0 Suffolk after 7.5 frames. 

In the home half of the inning, the Beacons looked to make a move. With runners in the corners -  thanks to a lead-off single from McCormick and single by Eddie Riley – and two outs, Nick Herzog headed to the dish. Pordes quieted the outfielder and UMass with a succesful throw to Trevor Lee to end the inning and keep the Beacons off the scoreboard. 

Suffolk looked to put more distance between the Beacons in the ninth and had its chance to do so thanks to three walks that loaded the bases and only one out. UMass Boston's defense stepped up, making the play at home on Tirone's infield strike, before successfully handling Kevin Higgins grounder to third. 

Leading 3-0, Chuck Gibson came out of the pen in the bottom of the ninth. The senior sat down the first two batters swinging, before Kyle Boudria connected for a double to left field. Chris Fowler followed Boudria's extra-base hit with a single through the right side to end the shutout, but Gibson dealt his third strikeout of the night, this time looking, to secure the 3-1 win for the Rams, their second straight victory.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Chant led the Rams at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one triple, two walks, one RBI and one run scored.
• Belskie also had a multiple hit day, with a 2-for-4 showing at the plate to go along with one run scored.
• Tirone, who went 1-for-3, reached base three times with two walks and scored once. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Pordes had a stellar day on the mound for the Rams with the junior putting together a no-run, three-hit, no-walk, six-strikeout effort in 8.0 innings of work to earn his second win of the season.
• Gibson pick up the save, his first of the year. In 1.0 inning of relief, the rightie allowed one run on two hits and sat down three batters.
• Fernando Burgos suffered the setback for UMass. The starter allowed all three runs (two earned) off five hits and four walks with three Ks.
• Bryan Kaufman threw 2.1 innings of two-hit, no-run, four-walk relief, before Chris Munro came in for the final 1.0 frames, in which he walked three hitters. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Chant led off with his 20th collegiate triple. He currently sits second all-time in Suffolk's annals behind leader Chris Stanley, who knocked 26 2010-13.
• Suffolk moves to 2-1 against UMass Boston in the Anthony Del Prete era. 

POST-GAME PIC
 

UP NEXT
As long as the weather holds up, Suffolk is set to open its home schedule tomorrow, Thursday, April 6 against Endicott at 4 p.m. at East Boston Memorial Park.