TUCSON – The Suffolk softball team took a 4-0 lead after the first inning before the Loggers of Puget Sound stormed back thanks to a five-run fifth to setback the Rams, 7-4, Tuesday night at the Tucson Invitational. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 4, Puget Sound 7
RECORDS: Suffolk (3-3) | Puget Sound (8-6) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk's bats got to work early with four runs coming in in the top of the first. Sydney Littlefield started things off with a single and Karina Miranda's sac bunt pushed the junior outfielder to second. Devlin Frost drew a walk before the Rams second out of the day was put on the board with Jill Pulek going down looking. The blue-and-gold kept things going, however, with Delaney Sylvester and Lindsay Pagano each reaching on walks to bring the first run of the day in. In the next at bat is where Suffolk put distance between the Loggers as Evelyn Marquis struck a triple to score Frost, Sylvester and Pagano to make it a 4-0 Suffolk game. 

Puget Sound trimmed the Rams' advantage to two with two runs in the second, but the real story was the bottom of the fifth. After a three-up, three-down inning for the Rams the Loggers heated up. With one out and runners on first and second Jessica Gott doubled to even the score at 4-all. Taylor Holmes relieved Jaclyn Flint in the circle and the Loggers took advantage of the fresh arm with back-to-back doubles to turn the tides in their favor, 6-4. Puget Sound added another run for good measure and Suffolk found itself in a 7-4 hole. 

Suffolk made moves in the sixth with Ashley Zulla coming in to pinch hit for Morgan Parmeter with one out. The freshman doubled before McKenzie McGrath walked, but back-to-back outs kept the score at 7-4 in the Loggers favor. 

With their back against the wall in the seventh, Pulek put a double in play, but the Rams could not rally behind it as Puget Sound took care of business to seal up the 7-4 win over Suffolk. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• McGrath and Littlefield each put together two hit performances to lead Suffolk's eight-hit day. McGrath was perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2, to along with one walk, while Littlefield went 2-for-4 at the plate and scored one run.
• Frost, Marquis, Pulek and Zulla also produced hits for the Rams.
• Marquis' brought in three runs with Pagano tallying one RBI.   

PITCHERS PICTURE

• In her first start of the season, Flint worked 4.1 innings, giving up five runs on five hits and struck out one hitter.
• Holmes suffered the setback in 1.2 innings of relief work with the junior allowing two runs on four hits.
• Gott earned the win with a complete-game effort. She let up four runs on eight hits and recorded six strikeouts. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Marquis registered the second triple of her career and the first of the 2017 season. The sophomore is the first player in blue-and-gold to notch a triple this season.   

POST-GAME PIC
 

WHAT'S NEXT
Suffolk is back in action at the Tucson Invitational Wednesday with showdowns set with Greenville and Stevens.