NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Despite racking up double-digit hits, Suffolk softball could not hold off Stevenson, falling to the Mustangs, 9-4, Friday at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 4 | Stevenson 9
RECORDS: Suffolk (0-2) | Stevenson (3-1) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk got on the board first in the top of the first. Ally Cifaratta and Savannah Scripter both singled to put a pair of ducks in the pond for Ava Brandow. The sophomore sent a long ball to right field to score Cifaratta and give the Rams a 1-0 edge.

The Mustangs matched that offensive output in the home half of the inning plus one to grab the advantage, 2-1. Both runs came in on Marissa Heuer single.

Suffolk leveled the playing field in the next half inning. With one out, Delaney Doidge barreled a double to get into scoring position in time Rebecca Gonzalez productive ground out to second to make it a 2-all game.

The score stayed that way until the home half of the third. Stevenson strung three hits in a row to get the inning going including back-to-back extra-base knocks to take a 4-2 lead.

The Rams bats were nearly silent over the next two innings before the Mustangs capitalized on a Suffolk mishap in the bottom of the fifth to put the blue-and-gold in a 5-2 hole.

Pinch hitters started a Rams rally in the sixth. With the bases loaded Heuer took over the circle and hit Gonzalez to bring in a run. Two batters later, Maddie Southers single plated Diana Rucinski, who pinch ran for Doidge, who worked a walk to get on base, to make it a one-run game, 5-4.

Behind four hits, one walk and one hit by pitch, Stevenson restored a comfortable cushion, 9-4, as the game headed to the seventh.

With a lot of ground to make up, Scripter led off with a single, but Heur retired the side from there to lock up the win for the Mustangs.

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Brandow took the loss after giving up nine runs on 10 hits and six walks with three strikeouts.
• Julia Newcomb tossed 1.0 inning of scoreless, hitless relief.
• Jillian Haines earned the win with a four-run, eight-hit, two-walk, two-strikeout performance in 5.0 innings.
• Heuer logged the save after throwing 2.0 frames of scoreless relief with just one hit allowed and one punchout.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Caitlin Murphy put together a 2-for-3 effort with one RBI.
• Scripter supplied two hits.
• Doidge notched one hit, a double, with one run and one walk.
• Brandow and Cirafatta each registered one hit and one RBI.
• Catherine Carignan tallied one hit and one run.
• Southers added one hit, one RBI and one walk.
• Ella Turnbull provided one hit as a pinch hitter, while Rucinski recorded one run as a pinch runner. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk met Stevenson for the second straight season.
• The Rams are 0-2 versus the Mustangs with both games coming in the Janet Maguire era.
• Suffolk produced 10 hits for the first time since hitting 14 in a 12-1 win over UMass Boston April 19, 2022.  
• Scripter has produced multiple hits in both of Suffolk's games this season.
• Southers has successfully hit in both games of her collegiate career. She had the first RBI and walk of her college career.
• Carignan has one in hit in both contests of her college career and scored a run for the first time in college.
• Doidge knocked the third double of her collegiate career, first since March 17, 2022 against Franciscan.
• Doidge matched a career-high in hits (1), doubles (1) and runs (1).

POST-GAME PIC

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk wraps up its second day of play at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic this afternoon against the University of Saint Joseph.