NEWPORT, R.I. – Trailing by three in the top of the ninth, the Suffolk baseball team chucked the bases and trimmed the margin to one run, but could not make up any more ground as Salve Regina held off the Rams to secure a 7-6 decision in its favor Thursday at Brothers Michael Reynolds field. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 6, Salve Regina 7
RECORDS: Suffolk (4-9) | Salve Regina (5-7)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Brady Chant got the game going with a solo shot to give the Rams an early 1-0 edge. 

The Seahawks leveled the playing field and then some in the bottom of the third. After back-to-back errors and successful small ball, Salve Regina juiced the bags and scored three runs to take a 3-1 lead. 

An inning later, the hosts stretched their advantage to 7-1 with a five-run bottom of the fourth. 

Suffolk responded in the top of the fifth to trim the margin to three. With one down, Seth Coiley wore a pitch before Blasé Cormier and Will Hopkins each drew walks to load the bases. Rich Giandrea knocked a single to right field to plate Coiley and start the rally. The Seahawks secured the second out of the inning behind a strikeout from Tom Beliveau, but the Rams took advantage of an erratic throw by the starter a pitch later and an ensuing error by Salve Regina's hurler to score a pair of runs. 

Down by three, the Rams stranded a pair of base runners in the sixth and did not get another chance to comeback until the final hour in the top of the ninth. An error by Seahawks third basemen allowed Rich Gilbride to reach and Coiley and Cormier followed with a single and walk to put all the ducks in the pond. Salve Regina brought in A Roman to deal, but the new arm was no match from Hopkins, who barreled a two RBI double to center, to make it a one-run ball game. With two outs and the tying-run on second, Greg Speliotis pinch hit, but went down swinging to seal Suffolk's setback fate. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Ryan Pordes went the distance on the bump. The senior RHP gave up seven runs, five earned, on eight hits and three walks with a pair of Ks through 8.0 innings.
• Beliveau earned the victory with a four-run, (three-earned), three-hit, five-walk, 10-strikeout performance in 5.0 innings.
• Tommy Seaver tossed 2.0 frames of scoreless relief with no hits allowed, two walks and three strikeouts on his stat line.
• Michael Matthews (2 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K) and Andrew Roman (0 R, 1 H, 1 K) each threw 1.0 inning of relief with Roman earning the save. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Hopkins brought in a pair of run on a double with the freshman left fielder scoring one run.
• Chant's lone hit of the day went over the fence.
• Coiley, who recorded one hit, crossed home twice.
• Cormier reached base three times on a trio of walks and scored one run.
• Giandrea, Andrew Ashworth and Trevor Lee each produced one hit apiece.
• Giandrea tallied one RBI, while Gilbride scored one run. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Hopkins had a personal-best two RBI.
• Chant led the game off with a homer for the second time this season. Overall, Chant has gone yard three times in 2018.
• Cormier's three walks mark a career-best. 

POST-GAME PIC
 

COMING UP
Suffolk is right back in action tomorrow, Friday, March 30 as the Rams stop by MIT for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch.