EAST BOSTON – Suffolk baseball spoiled Salve Regina's perfect season with a bounce-back 4-1 game two win over the Seahawks Sunday afternoon at East Boston Memorial Park. The victory not only marks the first loss for Salve Regina this year, but is the first time SRU has been defeated since it lost in the regional round of the 2019 NCAA Division III Tournament.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 4 | Salve Regina 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (6-4) | Salve Regina (7-1-1) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Double plays played a factor early on to keep things scoreless through the first two innings. Suffolk had an opportunity to break onto the board in the third even after grounding its third double play of the afternoon. Blase Cormier, who singled up the middle, was sent in on a deep double to right center by Tim Brigham. The Seahawks caught Cormier at the plate with the throw in on time to keep zeros on the scoreboard. 

Salve Regina broke up the scoreless outing in the next half inning. Back-to-back singles gave Sean O'Malley a pair of runners to bring in and he hit a double down the left field line to do so. Anthony Cieszko, who singled to right, reached easily, but Cieszko did not beat the throw in, which limited the visitors to just one run.  

In the next inning Suffolk evened the playing field. Christian Seariac brought in the tying run with a single to right center. He scored Rich Gilbride, who reached on a single of his own, and got into scoring position thanks to a Seahawks error during Brigham's at bat.  

Things stayed even until the bottom of the seventh. A new Salve Regina pitcher, Finn Doherty, let up a single to Luke Harder and walked Gilbride, before he was replaced by Holden Ferrari. Cormier worked a marathon at bat into a double down the left field line, that was rule a ground-rule and allowed Harder to score the go-ahead run. Suffolk's scoring didn't stop there as Brigham plated in Gilbride with a single to center field to stretch the gap to 3-1.  

The Seahawks attempted a comeback in the eighth when Jared Beneirs knocked a one-out, ground-rule double to left center. Michael Muscarella held his composure with a runner in scoring position and sat Matt D'Amato down swinging for a big second out of the inning. That would cap off Muscarella's day as Caleb Piwnicki came in to take over. The sophomore righthander settled down after a wild pitch allowed Beniers to move to third and locked up the final out of the frame on a ground out to short to keep the hosts ahead by two.  

In the home half of the inning Suffolk added an insurance run. Graham Jeffries came in to pitch for Ferrari. The reliever hit one batter and walked two others to chuck the bags. Cormier once again drew out an at bat and worked a bases loaded walk with two outs to extend to lead to 4-1.  

EJ Birch got the ball in the top of the night. Despite walking the first batter he faced, the RHP reliever preserved the win with help from his infield. First Joe Rufo made a jumping snag at second before the Rams turned a 643 double play to be the first team to defeat Salve Regina in 694 days.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Muscarella finished with a one-run, six-hit, one-walk, three-strikeout effort over 7.2 innings. 
• Birch recorded a save behind 1.0 inning of scoreless work with one walk allowed.
• Piwnicki secured a crucial out in the eighth inning. 
• Five different hurlers took the hump for Salve Regina. 
• Doherty took the loss after giving up two runs on one hit and one walk. 
• Michael Matthews (0 R, 7 H, 1 BB, 1 K) and Joe Escandon (1 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K) each served 3.0 innings. 
• Ferrari (0 R, 2 H, 1 K) and Jeffries (1 R, 0 H, 3 BB, 2 K) tossed 1.0 frame each.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Seven Suffolk hitters recorded a hit with six producing multiple knocks. 
• Seariac went 3-for-4 with one RBI. 
• Cormier contributed a 2-for-3 effort with two RBI and two walks. 
• Gilbride pitched in two hits and two runs scored. 
• Desimone and Harder each had two hits and scored one run apiece.
• Shamnoski rounded out the Rams with a hit with one to his credit.  

NOTEWORTHY

• The Rams are the first team to take down Salve Regina since the 2019 NCAA Division III Tournament, May 18, 2019. 
• Suffolk defeated Salve Regina for the first time since May 2, 2017. 
• The Rams moved to 13-7 all-time against the Seahawks. 
• Seariac produced three hits in a Suffolk uniform for the first time. 
• Desimone and Harder both matched a career-high two hits. 
• In his last three appearances, Birch has recorded a save.  

POST-GAME PIC
  

SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
Suffolk returns to East Boston Memorial Park Wednesday, April 14 when it entertains Wentworth. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.