EAST BOSTON – Despite having a chance to win with no outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Suffolk baseball offense struggled to have an answer for the Gulls infield defense and fell just short to Endicott, 5-4, in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Tuesday at East Boston Memorial Park.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 4 | Endicott 5
RECORDS: Suffolk (14-14, 2-7 CCC) | Endicott (22-5, 9-0 CCC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk built a 3-0 lead in the first frame. The first four Rams reached base safely. Walks by Garret Roberts and Christian Seariac were followed by one-run hits from Harry Painter and Marc Birbiglia. Painter a one run around on a single up the middle, while Birbiglia's ground-rule double over the center field fence scored another. A ground out by Joe Ward allowed the third run to come in for the three-run cushion.  

Endicott sliced the distance down to one, 3-2, a half inning later, before the blue-and-gold grabbed a 4-2 advantage in the bottom of the fifth. With one dead and runners on first and second, Birbiglia's base hit through the left side plated Seariac, who worked a walk to get on.  

The Gulls capitalized on a few Suffolk miscues an RBI single from Nickolas Perkins in the sixth to flip the script in their favor, 5-4. 

Suffolk would chase that one run for the next three innings as Gabe Van Emon did not allow a Ram to reach scoring position over the next three frames. 

Shawn Nosky kept the one-run gap for the host as he retired the side in the top of the ninth to keep walk-off protentional in the Rams reach.  

Things looked up for Suffolk as Jonny Gilbride and Roberts connected for outfield singles off Gulls closer Max Tarlin. Suffolk's comeback hopes fell short however as Tarlin closed the door via three straight ground ball outs to spoil the Rams' hope of a walk-off.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Casey Sullivan suffered the setback after giving up five runs, four earned, on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 5.0 innings. 
• Nick Reiser (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K) and Nosky (2.0 IP, 1 K) threw 2.0 innings of scoreless relief. 
• Van Emon picked up the win with a one-run, two-hit, four-walk, four-strikeout performance in 4.0 frames. 
• Endicott starter John Connolly registered a three-run, three-hit, three-walk, one-strikeout effort in the 4.0 innings. 
• Tarlin logged the save with 1.0 inning of scoreless relief with two hits given up.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Birbiglia went 2-for-4 with two RBI. One of the left fielder's hits was a double. 
• Seariac recorded two runs, two walks, two stolen bases and one hit. 
• Roberts added one hit, one run and two walks. 
• Painter provided one hit, one RBI, one run and one walk. 
• Ward brought in one run. 
• Blase Cormier and Gilbride chipped in one hit each.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk hosted Endicott for just the seventh time, first since April 17, 2021. 
• Gilbride (8 games), Painter (5 games) and Seariac (3 games) all extended their hit streak in that setback.  

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk steps away from its CCC calendar tomorrow, Wednesday, April 20 when it plays Lasell at Stein Diamond on the campus of Brandeis in Waltham, Massachusetts. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.