EAST BOSTON – Suffolk baseball saw its home opener spoiled as UMass Boston soared past the Rams, 21-8, Thursday at East Boston Memorial Park.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Sufoflk 8 | UMass Boston 21
RECORDS: Suffolk (4-5) | UMass Boston (8-4) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
UMass Boston capitalized on a Rams' fielding mishap in the top of the first to grab a one-run edge.  

Suffolk gained the advantage in the home half of the inning. Jonny Gilbride doubled to left field to get the inning going and scored the game-tying run thanks to Max Iorio's single up the middle. Base hits by Garret Roberts and Harry Painter chucked the bags, which allowed Marc Birbiglia to collect an RBI on an unassisted ground out to first, which gave the blue-and-gold the lead, 2-1.  

The Beacons put up five runs on three hits and one Suffolk error in the top of the second to regain the advantage, 6-2

A response from the Rams came again in the bottom of the inning. This time Roberts' and Painter's singles brought runs in to chip the deficit down to two, 6-4. 

A lead-off solo shot by C Corlis sparked UMass Boston's offense in the third that made the distance double digits, 14-4.  

Suffolk managed to get two runs back in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a two-run single to left by Painter. He brought in Gilbride, who singled, and Iorio, who reached on a throwing error by the Beacons' second baseman.  

With the margin back to single digits, a five-run fifth frame from the Beacons put the Rams in a 19-6 hole.  

The scored stayed put until the eighth when UMB surpassed the 20-run mark.  

Down 21-6, Suffolk scored one run in the eighth and ninth, respectively, for the final 21-8 tally. In the eight, Painter singled to center to plated Iorio, who doubled down the right field line. An inning later, Iorio's triple to right center brought in Gilbride, who singled to center.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Roberts took the loss after giving up six runs, five earned, on four hits and four walks with one strikeout in 1.2 innings of work. 
• Caleb Piwnick (1.1 IP, 8 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 K), Shreyas Parikh (2.0 IP, 5 R, 5H, 4 BB, 3 K), Pierce Salbego (2.0 IP, 1 H), Jake Washock (1.0 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K) and Billy Beneke (1.0 IP) came in in relief for the Rams. 
• Alessio Pressamarita earned the win for the Beacons with 1.0 frame of scoreless, hitless work. 
• UMB starter Nick Assad assembled a six-run, four-earned, 11-hit, two-punchout effort in 4.0 innings.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Both teams had 17 hits. 
• Gilbride went 5-for-6 with one double with four runs and one stolen base on his stat line.
• Painter provided a 4-for-5 effort with four RBI and one stolen base. 
• Iorio logged hree hits, a single, double and triple, for two RBI and three runs scored. 
• Sam Armbruster registered two hits and one run.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk hosted UMass Boston for the first time since 2011. 
• Gilbride had a career-high five hits. He is the second Ram to go 5-for-6 this season as Roberts achieved the feat in a 14-7 win over Mt. Aloysius at the Ripken Experience March 13, 2023. 
• Iorio recorded a personal-best in hits (3) and runs (3) and tied a career-high two RBI. He hit the first triple of his career. 
• Painter matched a career-high four hits. 
• Armbruster tallied a personal-best in hits (2) and matched a career-high in runs scored (1) in his first collegiate start.  

POST-GAME PIC
 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk is set to stay at home this weekend as it has doubleheaders with Nichols and Johnson & Wales on its weekend docket. The Rams will first welcome the Bison to Easton for the Commonwealth Coast Conference opener Saturday, March 25, before the Wildcats make their way to Beantown Sunday, March 26. Both twinbills have a 12 p.m. game one first pitch.