BOSTON – St. John Fisher scored six runs in the seventh inning to take the lead and put Suffolk baseball in a hole it would not dig itself out of as the Rams fell, 16-9, Saturday afternoon at Auburndale High School in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 9, St. John Fisher 16
RECORDS: Suffolk (1-1) | St. John Fisher (4-5) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk opened the scoring in the top of the second and quickly built a 4-0 lead as five different Rams produced a hit.  Andrew Ashworth's single up the middle was the first hit to bring home a run as the freshman catcher scored Will Hopkins, who reached on a single to center. Two batters later, Brady Chant rocked a double to left field to plate both Rich Giandrea, who drew a walk, and Ashworth. Chant then came in courtesy of Rich Gilbride's left side single. 

St. John Fisher responded in the home half of the second stanza to trim the deficit to one, 4-3. A Cardinals error let the Rams counter with one run of their own in the third to regain a two-run cushion. Suffolk surrendered a pair of runs in the home half of the inning to equalize the score at 5-all. 

In the top of the fifth, Suffolk got the best of Fisher's pitching to the tune of four runs on four hits to open up a four-run edge, 9-5. A bases loaded fielder's choice started the Suffolk scoring stretch. Trevor Lee followed with a one-run double with Chant collecting a RBI on a 63 ground out. Lee completed the inning's scoring as the junior second baseman scored on Gilbride's single to center. 

Fisher did damage in the seventh as Suffolk called upon Johnny Maffei to come out of the pen. The freshman arm gave up six runs on four hits and the Rams found themselves trailing for the first time on the afternoon, 13-9, after seven complete outings. 

The Rams' offense could not get going in the top of the eighth despite a double by Hopkins and Fisher added another pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to turn it into a 15-9 margin. 

Suffolk put two runners on in the ninth with two outs, but the ground was too much to make up and the Cardinal clinched the 15-9 decision. 

PITCHER PICTURE

• Ryan Pordes earned the nod and worked the 6.0 frames in which the senior allowed seven runs on 12 hits, while strikeout six hitters.
• Maffei's relief effort saw eight runs on six hits with one K.
• Five different pitchers saw the bump for Fisher. Kyle Chambers earned the victory with three innings of scoreless ball with just three hits allowed. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Eight Rams combined for 15 hits with five different players contributing multi-hit efforts.
• Chant registered two hits, one double, for three RBI and one run.
• Lee had a day at the dish with two hits, one double, one RBI and one run.
• Hopkins paved the path offensively for the Rams with the freshman going 3-for-4 with one double, and two runs.
• Gibride (2-5, 2 RBI) and Seth Coiley (3-6) completed the Rams with multiple hits. 

POST-GAME PIC
 

COMING UP
Suffolk will take part in its first double feature of the season as it faces Brockport in a pair of games tomorrow, Sunday, March 11. First pitch of game one is set for 9:45 a.m.