EAST BOSTON – In a back-and-forth Conference of New England (CNE) clash, Suffolk baseball came up short against Gordon, 6-5, in the 10th inning Tuesday afternoon at East Boston Memorial Park.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 5 | Gordon 6
RECORDS: Suffolk (7-15, 1-5 CNE) | Gordon (13-11, 6-2 CNE)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk snuck onto the board in the second. Max Iorio, who reached on a fielder's choice, swiped second, and came around thanks to Sam Armbruster's single to left to give the host a 1-0 early edge.  

A Rams fielding mishap allowed the Fighting Scots to tie the game at 1-all in the top of the sixth. CJ Demers took first as the ball rolled under Armbruster's glove at short. He worked his way over to third on a stolen base and balk. A shallow single to third off Robert Dunkle's bat allowed Demers to bring in the tying run.  

The Fighting Scots soared in front 3-1 in their next go at the plate behind two runs on four hits.  

A Rams response came in the home half of the inning. Colin Flynn led off with a double to right, advanced to third on a loud out to right by Max Martin and tagged up two batters later when Alex Sorenti-Burns flew out to center. Iorio's double to right field plated Chris Cimino, who walked and moved to second on a wild pitch, before a throwing error by Gordon's short stop Hunter Normandin when Armbruster put the ball in play allowed Iorio to come around to make it a 4-3 game.  

Once again, the playing field leveled in the top of the eighth as Gordon capitalized on a throwing mishap by Suffolk's hurler Jack Raimo to knot things at 4-all.  

The blue-and-gold had the chance to walk off in the bottom of the eighth and ninth with the bases loaded, Gordon kept the Rams bats quiet to force the extra frame.  

Extra-base hits and a Rams error allowed Gordon to jump in front 6-4 in the top of the 10th. 

A lead-off single by Max Martin looked to ignite the Rams comeback, however Cimino grounded into a double play to quickly put two outs on the board. Sorrenti-Burns slugged a triple to right field to keep Suffolk's hopes alive scored behind Iorio's single to right field. An error by the Fighting Scots third baseman Gabe Falest let Armbruster reach safely, and a passed ball moved the tying and go-ahead run to second and third. Jack Mihalchik worked a long at ball and continuously fouled off the ball, but ended up going down swinging for the final out of the day with Suffolk down, 6-5.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Raimo took the loss after he gave up three runs, one earned, on six hits and one walk with one strikeout in 3.1 innings of relief. 
• TJ Dimitriou logged a three-run, two-earned, six-hit, one-walk, three-strikeout performance over 6.1 frames. 
• Nick Arnett tossed 0.1 inning of scoreless, hitless relief out of the pen. 
• Mike Williams earned the decision. He let up one run on three hits with one K in 1.1 inning of work. 
• Paul Donnelly started and allowed one run on seven hits and sat down four hitters over 6.0 frames. 
• Brett Moore (3 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 1 K) and Michael Pelletier (2 H, 2 BB, 1, K) came in for 1.2 innings and 1.0 inning, respectively.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Iorio went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored and one stolen base. 
• Flynn provided three hits, one run and two stolen bases. 
• Sorenti-Burns pitched in two hits including one triple, one RBI, one run, one sac fly and one stolen base. 
• Armbruster added two hits, one RBI and one stolen base.
• Cimino logged one hit, one walk, one run and one stolen base. 
• Martin pitched in one hit and one walk.  
• Mike Mualleny recorded one hit and one walk.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Gordon needed extra innings to decision a winner three times. 
• The Rams moved to 1-2 in extra inning contests against the Fighting Scots. 
• The last time Suffolk and Gordon went to extras was April 9, 2024, a 9-8, 13-inning Suffolk setback. 
• Flynn tied a personal-best three hits.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk heads back to Babson Park, Massachusetts, tomorrow, Wednesday, April 9 for a rematch with No. 29 Babson at 3:30 p.m.