WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Suffolk softball played from behind early on and its offense was limited to the first inning to suffer a 6-3 season-opening setback to Alvernia at the Spring Games at DiamondPlex Friday afternoon.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Alvernia 6
RECORDS: Suffolk (0-1) | Alvernia (5-5)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Alvernia put up four runs in the first to force Suffolk to play catchup early on. 

The Rams made up some ground in the home half of the inning. Julia Mills brought in the blue-and-gold's first run on the season on a base hit up the middle that scored Catherine Carignan, who led off the inning with a single to right. Mills moved to third thanks to Ava Brandow's double to right and coasted in on a fielding mishap by Alvernia's second baseman. The scoring didn't stop there as Brandow crossed home on when Abby Barnaby scarified herself to right to trim the edge to one, 4-3.   

The score stayed put on the top of the fifth when the Golden Bears posted a pair of runs to lengthen their lead to 6-3.  

Suffolk had a chance to make up the ground with base runners in the bottom of the fifth and seventh, respectively, but stranded two runners in each inning to slip to the Golden Wolves. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Lily Newhall took the loss with a six-run, five-earned, nine-hit, two-walk, four-strikeout complete-game effort. 
• Kelsey Racine earned the decision with 5.2 innings of scoreless relief with four hits and one walk with one punchout to her credit as well. 
• Ryan Healey started and gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits in 1.1 frames of action.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Carignan went 3-for-3 with one walk and scored one run. 
• Mills produced a 2-for-4 line with one RBI and one run scored. 
• Brandow also went 2-for-4 with one double and one run to her credit. 
• Doidge and Barnaby collected one RBI each with the latter earning hers on a sac fly. 
• Lily Gustafson rounded out the Rams with a hit with one to go along with a sac.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk has opened its season on a neutral diamond every year dating back to 1995. 
• Since 1987, Suffolk is now 8-29 in the first game of the season. 
• The Rams and Alvernia met for the first time. 
• Barnaby, Avery Carvalho and Giavanna Bellino made their collegiate debuts.     

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk concludes its first day at The Spring Games this afternoon against Simmons.