MILTON, Mass. – After slipping in extras to open the day, Suffolk baseball rebounded in the nightcap at Curry with an 8-2 victory over the Colonels to split the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) twinbill Saturday at Valley Diamond.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 8 | Curry 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (8-5, 1-1 CCC) | Curry (7-5, 1-1 CCC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk did not wait to get its offense going as it drove in four runs in the first frame. Garret Roberts led off with a double to left field and Christian Seariac traded places with him to break the blue-and-gold on the board. One out later, Harry Painter sent a jack to right center and three batters after the two-run homer, Luke Harder got in on the extra-base action with an RBI double to left. Harder plated in Marc Birbiglia, who singled to center, to make it a 4-0 margin in the middle of the opening inning. 

Curry also got on the board in the first and used an extra-base hit to do so. The Colonels were limited to just one run by Nick Reiser and the Rams defense though and Suffolk stayed ahead, 4-1.  

The visitors added to their advantage in the fifth behind Birbiglia's two-run bomb. The senior homered to center field and brought in Joe Ward, who led off the stanza with a walk, to push the cushion to 6-1.  

An error by the Rams allowed the Colonels to get one run back in the bottom of the sixth. It did not matter much as Suffolk scored two more in the seventh to extend matters to 8-2. Painter doubled off relief pitcher Cameron Herndon, advanced to third on Birbiglia's base hit and tagged up on Harder's long out to left. A wild pitch later, Birbiglia came in on Blase Cormier's single to center.   

That ended on the scoring on both sides as Reiser escaped a base loaded jam in the seventh, and EJ Birch took over the rubber for a pair of shutdown relief innings for the Rams.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Reiser registered the win. He etched a two-run (one-earned), five-hit, six-walk, five-strikeout, 7.0-inning outing. 
• Birch preserved the win with a pair of scoreless innings with just three hits and one walk given up to go along with two punchouts. 
• Curry's starter Conor Quinlan, who saw just 1.0 inning of action, slipped to 0-2 on the year after allowing four runs on five hits.
• Jack Needham served 5.0 innings out of the pen. He let up two runs on two hits and three walks with five Ks. 
• Herndon (1.0 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 K) tossed a frame of relief, while Brandon Prescod (2.0 IP, 1 H, 6 Ks) closed for the Colonels.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Birbiglia went provided a 3-for-5 performance at the plate with a homer, two RBI, and three runs scored. 
• Cormier chipped in a 3-for-5 effort as well with one RBI. 
• Painter produced two hits, both for extra bases with a double and dinger, respectively. The freshman tallied two RBI and two runs scored. 
• Roberts and Seariac supplied one hit each. The latter added one RBI and one run scored, while the former scored once. 
• Harder had two RBI on one hit and one sac fly. 
• Ward stole one base and scored one run.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk started CCC action 1-1 for the first time in program history. 
• Suffolk had back-to-back games with two homers for the second time this season. 
• Painter has had multiple hits in the last four games. In that stretch he has eight hits, five of which are good for extra bases. 
• Painter recorded the fourth homer of his career and season.
• Birbiglia tallied his first home run of the year. 
• Birbiglia produced a career-high in hits with three and tied a personal-best in runs scored (3). 
• Cormier notched a season-best three hits. 

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk remains on the road Tuesday, March 29 when it visits Endicott for a CCC clash at 3:30 p.m.