BOSTON – Andrea Sanders two-run double broke a 3-all tie in favor of No. 7 Amherst and Suffolk softball could not make a late rally as the Rams fell to the nationally ranked Mammoths, 5-3, Saturday afternoon at Legends Park as apart The Spring Games. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3, No. 7 Amherst 5
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-2) | No. 7 Amherst (2-0) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
A pitcher's duel presided until Suffolk's bats got going in the top of the third. Kelly Keane led off with a double, the first of her collegiate career, with Grace Boehler following with a single. McKenzie McGrath's perfectly placed bunt that teetered on the fair side of the foul line loaded the bases. Keane scored on a fielder's choice with Sydney Littlefield picking up a RBI in the process. A pair of Rams' runners came home three batters later as Jaclyn Flint barreled a single to give Suffolk a 3-0 lead in the top three. 

The score stood still on either side for the next two half innings thanks to a few three-up and three-down innings and some highlight fielding plays like McGrath's inning-ending throw to Rams' first baseman Kean in the bottom of the third with the baes full. 

Amherst made things interesting in the home half of the fifth as it tied things up at 3-all. The Mammoths looked to do more damage but with two outs and the bases loaded, Payton Sylvester successfully fielded a 13 ground out to Keane to hold the game at 3-3.

An inning later, Amherst used a two-run double from Andrea Sanders to gain a 5-3 advantage. 

With just one inning to make up ground, the Mammoths quickly put two outs on the scoreboard. Littlefield and Payton Sylvester drew back-to-back walks to keep the Rams alive and Devlin Frost continuously made contact with Amherst reliever's pitches. Unfortunately, a foul tip did not play in the Rams favor as Mammouth second baseman Sammy Salustri grabbed the rock in foul terrorist to seal Suffolk's fate. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Ali Yamakaitis worked the first 4.1 frames. The senior twirler allowed three runs on five hits with one walk and one strikeout.
• Payton Sylvester came in from short with the freshman giving up two runs on four hits and one walk.
• Lorena Ukwanwa earned the win with a three-run, five-hit, two-walk, four-strikeout outing, her first of 2018.
• Gina Pagan picked up the save as she tossed the final frame – a no-hit, no-run, two-walk inning. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Five different Rams accounted for Suffolk's hits in Flint, Delaney Sylvester, Keane, Boehler and McGrath.
• Flint produced two RBI, while Littlefield had one.
• Keane, Littlefield and McGrath each scored runs for the Rams. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Keane hit her first collegiate double. 

POST-GAME PIC

COMING UP
Suffolk takes tomorrow off before it returns to the diamond Tuesday, March 13 for matchups versus UMass Dartmouth and Stockton at 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at Hancock Field.