EAST BOSTON – Suffolk baseball picked up Boston Commons bragging rights as it rocked six triples, the most by any NCAA Division III teams this season, en route to a 16-3 offensive onslaught of cross city rival Emerson Tuesday night at East Boston Memorial Park. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 16 | Emerson 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (7-4) | Emerson (6-6)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk chased two after the Lions put a pair on the boards in the first frame. The Rams batted around to get those runs back and added two more.  

Triples played a factor in the rally as Luke Harder barreled one to get the blue-and-gold's day going. The right fielder strutted in on Jonny Gilbride's base hit, before Marc Birbiglia knocked a hit good for three bags three batters later. Birbiglia's hit scored both Christian Seariac and Joe Ward, who reached on a fielder's choice and single, respectively. Suffolk's first frame scoring ended when Birbiglia came home courtesy of Harry Painter's 6-3 ground out. That damage would be enough to put the Rams in front, 4-2. 

EJ Birch shoved a six-pitch, three-up, three-down inning in the second, however, Suffolk sat down in order as well to keep things there. 

The scoring picked up again in the third. Emerson made things interesting as it got a run back to trim the gap down to one, 4-3. Suffolk doubled the Lions offensive output in the home half of the inning. Once again triples were in the storyline as Shane Lake raked a three-bagger to right center and brought in Birbiglia and Painter in the process, who each singled, to extend the edge to three, 6-3. 

Suffolk put the game away over the next two innings as Birch kept the Lions quiet and the Rams bats soared ahead with five runs in both the fourth and fifth. 

Gilbride walked and swiped second to open the fourth, which forced the Lions to go to their pen and bring in Bryan Simmons. A single by Seariac plated Gilbride and Ward's base hit brought in the third baseman. Suffolk traded ground outs with extra-base hits from there. Painter's day continued with an RBI triple and Lake logged an RBI double to center. The scoring didn't stop there as Harder picked up an RBI on his single up the middle to push the distance to 11-3.

In the fifth, back-to-back base on balls by Seariac and Ward set up Painter's two RBI triple. Blase Cormier scored the Rams' designated hitter on a ground out to second before Lake struck his second triple of the day, which forced Emerson to make a change on the mound. Garret Roberts drew a walk on the new arm, Rory Tetteme, and advanced to second on a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position for Harder, both of whom scored on the right fielder's single to left field, to bump matters to 16-3. 

Jake Washock took over for Birch. The junior threw three shutdown innings to lock up the win. He allowed just two base runners, one in the eighth on a hit, the other the right-handed hurler hit to begin the ninth. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Birch registered the win. He did not allow an earned run over his 6.0 innings of action on six hits and one walk with a pair of Ks. 
• Washock secured the save behind 3.0 frames of scoreless relief with one hit and one strikeout to his credit. 
• Emerson's starter Chris Lowe suffered the setback after allowing seven runs, all earned, on eight hits and two walks in 3.0 innings. 
• Bryan Simmons-Hayes came out in relief first and let up eight runs on seven hits and three walks with one punchout in his 1.2 innings. 
• Tettemer (1.1 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 BB) and Lucas Simms (2.0 IP, 2 H, 3 Ks) were the most productive on the bump for the Lions. 

STATISCALLY SPEAKING

• Lake was perfect at the plate with a 3-for-3 performance. All three of his hits were for extra bases including two triples and one double. He brought in three runs and scored twice himself. 
• Painter went 4-for-5 with two triples and one double, for four RBI and three runs scored. 
• Ward went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, one RBI, one walk and one stolen base. 
• Birbiglia recorded two hits, one triple, two RBI, two runs and one walk. 
• Harder had three hits, including one triple, for three RBI to go along with one run scored. 
• Seariac scored three times. He added one hit, one RBI and one walk. 

NOTEWORTHY

• The six triples mark a new program record, upstaging the previous mark of 5, that was set on April 21, 2012 in a 16-1 win over Rivier. 
• The six triples in one game are tied for second in NCAA Division III with 10 other programs. 
• Suffolk is the first DIII team in the country to hit six triples in 2022 and first to do so since Gwynedd Mercy set a NCAA DIII record with seven Feb. 22, 2020.
• Suffolk and Emerson renew a rivalry, meeting for the first time since 2013. 
• The Rams have defeated the Lions in 20 straight meetings. 
• Suffolk is now 26-1 all-time against Emerson. 
• As the home team Suffolk is 12-1 versus the Lions. 
• The 16 runs are the most since Suffolk put up 20 in a 20-5 win at Gordon April 24, 2021.
• The eight extra-base hits are the most since registering eight (6 doubles, one triple, one homer, in a 15-2 triumph over Lasell March 21, 2021.
• The 20 hits are the most since Suffolk struck or 20 in a 16-5 win at Tufts April 24, 2018.
• Lake logged a career-high three hits. 
• Painter produced a career-best in hits (4), RBI (4) and runs scored (3). 
• Both Lake and Painter tallied the first triples of their collegiate careers and finished a pair of three-baggers apiece. 
• Lake and Painter are the first Rams to hit multiple triples in one game since Brady Chant '18 notched three in a 30-8 win over Anna Maria. 
• Lake and Painter are the first pair of Suffolk student-athletes to have two triples in the same game since Devin Jones and Chris Stanley each chipped in two triples to the 16-1 triumph against Rivier April 21, 2012.
• Harder matched a career-high in hits (3) and RBI (3). He also produced the second triple of his career, both of which have come this season.  
• Seariac and Ward each supplied a personal-best three runs scored. 
• James extended his hit streak to three straight games. 

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk will be on the road for the next five outings. First up is a trip to Providence, Rhode Island, Thursday, March 24 for a tangle at Johnson & Wales.