MINNEOLA, Fla. – Down two in the bottom of the seventh, Suffolk softball aimed to comeback, but went down on a pop up to slip to Skidmore, 6-4, Wednesday night at Minneola Athletics Complex. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 4 | Skidmore 6
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-5) | Skidmore (3-2)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
After two scoreless innings, Skidmore built a 4-0 advantage the Rams had to claw their way out of.  

Suffolk did just that in the home half of the inning as Grace McGonagle's first collegiate hit ignited the three-run frame. The rookie moved over on Caitlin Murphy's base hit before a bobble by the Thoroughbreds' third baseman Genesis Delgado loaded the bases. Ashley Zulla's first double of the day scored the first pair of runners and Leina Belog grounded out to second to plate the third and trim the gap to one, 4-3.  

The score stayed the same in the fourth before costly errors by Rams' fielders allowed Skidmore to stretch the distance to three, 6-3, in the top of the fifth.  

Alexa White came in to twirler for reliever Constance Phelan and the freshman did her job, keeping the score at 6-3 through the sixth inning. 

A blue-and-gold started in the bottom of the sixth. As the Thoroughbreds shifted its infield and moved Megan Robertson to the circle. The reliever retired the first two Rams batters. Pinch hitter Savannah Scripter figured her out though and knocked a single to center fielder. Hailey Cockroft returned the lineup to take Scripters place on the bags and moved to third after a pair of wild pitches. McGonagle was once again the hero as her second hit of the day came with her first collegiate RBI that sliced the distance to two, 6-4.  

White maintained the two-run margin to set-up a Rams' retaliation.  

Zulla started things out with a one-out, stand-up double. Bianca Luciano replaced her the catcher on the bags and advanced to third on Belog's grounded out. Kelly Keane left the tying run at the plate as she lined out to second to keep the 6-4 second in Skidmore's favor.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Hanna Cash suffered the setback after letting up four runs, two earned, on two hits and three walks over 2.1 innings. 
• Phelan and White each came in for 2.1 innings of relief. The former gave up two runs, none earned, on three hits with one strikeout, while White walked one batter and sat down two. 
• Emily Popp picked up the decision behind a three-run, two-earned, seven-hit, three-strikeout effort scattered over 5.0 innings. 
• Robertson secured the save with one run allowed on three hits with one K.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Zulla anchored Suffolk's offense with three hits, two of which were doubles, to bring in two runs. 
• McGonagle supplied two hits, one RBI and one run. 
• Murphy contributed two hits and one run scored. 
• Cifaratta had one hit and scored one run. 
• Keane and Scripter both had one hit. 
• Cockroft scored one run.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk met Skidmore for the second time in the all-time series, first since 2014. 
• Cash started her first collegiate contest. 
• McGonagle appeared in the line-up, playing the field and batting for the first time in her career. 
• McGonagle logged her first collegiate hit, finished with a pair, and had the first RBI and run scored in her career. 
• Zulla matched a personal-best three hits, accomplishing the feat for the second time this season, and matched a career-high two doubles. 

POST-GAME PIC

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk takes on North Park to wrap up its fourth day of action at THE Spring Games.