EAST BOSTON – Down 12-10 in the bottom of the ninth, Suffolk baseball team rallied to force extra-innings where Marc Birbiglia barreled a base hit RBI to send the sixth-seeded Rams past seventh seed Gordon, 13-11, in 11 frames Monday afternoon at East Boston Memorial Park.   

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 13 | Gordon 12
RECORDS: Suffolk (13-20) | Gordon (13-26)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a back-and-forth affair from the get-go as Gordon struck first with one run in the first and the Rams responded with a two-run home half of the inning. Both of Suffolk's runs came on Birbiglia's single to left field.  

The Fighting Scots fought back and put up a lopsided six runs in the second to put the Rams in a 7-2 hole.  

In the third, Joe Ward ran out a triple and capitalized on a bobble by Gordon's centerfielder to chip the deficit down to four. 

An inning later, Suffolk reclaimed the advantage. Walks by Sam Armbruster and Michael Cole set up Timothy McCarthy's two-run triple to right center. McCarthy scored thanks to Garret Roberts' single to left before Gordon made a change on the hill. An error by the Fighting Scots' right fielder allowed two more runs to come in before a double steal gave the blue-and-gold a 9-7 lead.  

Gordon took over again in the sixth with four runs that made it a two-run gap in the visitors' favor with the margin extending to three, 12-9, in the seventh.  

Painter's sac fly in the eighth helped Suffolk pull back within two, which was made up in the bottom of the seventh on a pair of doubles from Armbruster and McCarthy.  

The Fighting Scots saw a chance to win it in the 10th with a runner on third, but he was kept there. The Rams went down in order in the bottom of the inning and Gordon saw another opportunity in the 11th as Andrew Hartman worked a lead-off walk. Caleb Piwnicki retired the side from there to keep things even at 12-all.  

Harder hit a lead-off triple to left center to place the game-winning run in prime scoring position. Birbiglia put on the hero cap and blasted a single to right field to send Suffolk into the double elimination portion of the CCC bracket.   

PITCHERES PICTURE

• Piwnicki earned the decision after 4.0 innings of scoreless relief work. He gave up one run, walked two batters and fanned five. 
• Painter started for Suffolk and allowed six runs on one hit in 1.0 inning. 
• Pierce Salbego put together a one-run, three-hit, three-walk, one-strikeout outing in 3.2 innings. 
• Michael James Jr. (0.2 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB) and Shawn Nosky (1.2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K) came out of the blue-and-gold pen as well. 
• Shane Demers suffered the setback for the Fighting Scots. He let up three runs on five hits and sat down one hitter in 2.0 innings. 
• Tyler Sprince started and allowed eight runs, five earned, on five hits and five walks with one K in 3.1 innings. 
• Gianni Merurio (0.2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 K) and Brett Moore (4.0 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 3 K) tossed for Gordon as well.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Harder went 3-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored, including the game-winner. 
• Birbiglia brought in three runs on two hits. 
• McCarthy, who was 3-for-5, was a homer shy of the cycle. He brought in three runs and scored two himself. 
• Ward registered two RBI, two runs scored and one hit, a triple. 
• Armbruster scored twice to go along with one hit, a double, one RBI and one walk.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk made its third straight appearance in the CCC postseason. 
• The Rams played and hosted in the play-in contest in the CCC Tournament for the second straight season.
• The Rams needed extra-time in a postseason game for the first time since the 2017 NCAA Regionals where Suffolk walked-off against #25/RV Arcadia, 1-0, in 11 innings, May 19, 2017. 
• The extra innings are a first for the Rams in the CCC postseason and mark the first conference postseason contest Suffolk went into extras since defeating Saint Joseph's (Maine), 5-4, in the 2016 GNAC Championship May 7, 2016. 
• The Rams are undefeated, 3-0, when going to extra innings in the postseason, 2-0 in league tournament outings. 
• Suffolk and Gordon went into extras for the first time in the all-time series. 
• The Rams are unbeaten, 2-0, when hosting a CCC Tournament contest. 
• Suffolk is undefeated, 2-0, versus Gordon in the CCC postseason. 
• Suffolk improved to 8-5 all-time against Gordon. 
• Suffolk is unbeaten, 6-0, when hosting the Fighting Scots. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk moves onto the double-elimination portion of the CCC Tournament, which gets underway Wednesday, May 10. The Rams will head to #5/8 Endicott for a 3 p.m. first round outing.