PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Suffolk softball team turned up its offense in the Game 2 at Johnson & Wales Saturday, sending eight base-runners across home plate to take an 8-3 victory. The win was a bounce back for the Rams after the Wildcats won the opening game of the day 4-0.
GAME 1: SUFFOLK 0 JOHNSON & WALES 4
The Rams (15-5, 6-2 GNAC) were limited to just four hits thanks to a full-game effort form Jennifer Corona (10-3) in the circle. The sophomore struck out three Suffolk batters and walked four in her 10th win of the season and third shutout.
Johnson & Wales (17-6, 5-3 GNAC), meanwhile, drove in four runs on eight hits on Suffolk's pitching tandem of Kim Crucioli and Taylor Holmes, who threw 3.0 innings apiece. Crucioli suffered the loss in her first start of the year, giving up all four runs on five hits, two walks and four errors. Holmes allowed three hits and stuck out three Wildcats.
The hosts' runs came early, sprinkled across the first four innings. The Wildcats struck first in the opener in the first, as Diana Amendolara connected for a single up the middle to plate Brenna DuPerry, who singled to center to reach base.
JWU added two more runs in the second thanks to a two-run jack by DuPerry. The shortstop had a hand in the Wildcats' final run of the day in the fourth. Taylor Fay, who pinch ran for Corona, crossed home on DuPerry's bunt, a fielder's choice for the final 4-0 score.
GAME 2: SUFFOLK 8 JOHNSON & WALES 3
After dropping the opener, Suffolk jumped out to an early lead in the second contest, putting runners in the corners without the benefit of a hit on a walk and an error in the first. Delaney Sylvester followed with a single to right field to plate Meredith Ball as Morgan Parmeter was tagged out at second. Singles by Jill Pulek and Devlin Frost loaded the bases and Lindsay Pagano's single coupled with an error by right fielder Alex Fantasia allowed Sylvester, Pulek and Frost to come in for a 4-0 edge. Fantasia came in to pitch for the Wildcats and K. Alexis DeMoss replaced Fantasia in right field, but the Rams did not let up. McKenzie McGrath's sac brought in Pagano to make it a 5-0 Suffolk game, but the remaining two runs were left stranded when Ball grounded out to the shortstop to end the inning.
Each side struck for one run in the second. Parmeter led off with a double and was pushed to third on Sylvester's single. Parmeter came in on Pulek's single through the right side, moving the score to 6-0. JWU responded in the bottom half of the frame. With the bases loaded, Ali Yamakaitis walked Gavin to score Reyes.
Suffolk tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth to extend its advantage and take a seven-run lead. Sylvester singled to start things off and Nicole Isakson took the catcher's place on base. The senior pinch runner was tagged out at second on Pulek's single and a Pagano single to right put runners on first and second. Evelyn Marquis and Madison Eucalitto followed with singles of their own, bringing in Pulek and Pagano, respectively.
With the Rams ahead 8-1, JWU added two runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Yamakaitis retired the Wildcats in order in the seventh, including two strikeouts looking, to secure the 8-3 win for Suffolk.
Yamakaitis (5-2) had a day in the circle, matching a career high eight strikeouts in the complete game effort. The sophomore, who won her third straight, gave up three runs on six hits in her fifth victory of the season.
Pulek's 4-for-4, two-run, one RBI effort paved the path for Suffolk's offense. Sylvester (3-for-4) chipped in three hits, one RBI and one run, while Frost (2-for-4) and Pagano (2-for-4) both added two hits. Pagano pitched in three RBI and two runs.
Suffolk continues its six-game GNAC weekend tomorrow with a home doubleheader against Albertus Magnus. Game 1 is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.