EAST BOSTON – Suffolk baseball could not hold off a  comeback from Roger Williams as the Hawks rallied to force extra innings and take down the Rams, 4-3, in 11 innings in game one of a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader Saturday at East Boston Memorial Park.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Roger Williams 4
RECORDS: Suffolk (11-7, 2-2 CCC) | Roger Williams (12-2, 2-0 CCC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Both sides had their chances, but neither managed to break through until the bottom of the sixth. With runners on first and second, Max Iorio pushed the ball into play toward the Hawks' second baseman Nick Sheehan. In the base paths from first two second, Harry Painter jumped over the ball, which confused Sheehan, and allowed Iorio to reach safely and Jonny Gilbride to cruise into score. Gilbride lead off the inning and took first thanks to a throwing error by RWU's third baseman Ty Cali.  

The Hawks kept Suffolk's defense on its toes in the top of the seventh as Rory Lynch worked a walk to get the frame underway. After Cali lined out to right, Garret Roberts combined forces with his shortstop, Gilbride, and first baseman, Painter, for a 1-6-3 double play to keep the visitors off the scoreboard. 

An inning and a Roger Williams pitching change later, Iorio factored into more Rams runs.  This time all the ducks were in the pond for the junior right fielder, who barreled a two-bagger to left center to extend the blue-and-gold's edge to 3-0.  

Roger Williams threatened once again in the top of the eighth. With Hawks in the corners and one out, Anthony Del Prete went to his pen and brought Patrick Desmond in to take over for Roberts. The freshman right-handed hurler quickly got the second out of the stanza before facing a full count against Ethan Keeney. He fanned Keeney swinging and Suffolk hung onto its three-run edge.   

In the top of the ninth, Desmond got into a jam early on and could not climb out of it as the Hawks eliminated the shutout with a bases loaded hit by pitch. Brett Bucklin came in to take over the rubber and got two quick outs, but London Camelo's perfectly placed single to right field brought in a pair to lock things at 3-all. 

An error, a single and a walk filled the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning. The flair for dramatics continued as Roger Williams got two outs and Max Martin found himself in a full count. Suffolk's catcher went down swinging and free baseball ensued.  

The go-ahead came for the Hawks in the 11th. With two outs Aidan Hawley worked a walk and go into scoring position on a passed ball. Christopher Flynn put on his hero cape when he singled through the right side to bring in the run.  

Gilbride worked a one-out walk to put the game-tying run on first and Iorio moved him over to second on a single to right field. RWU brought Markanthony Glickman in t take over the mound and close things out and he did just that as Alex Sorenti-Burns flew out to left. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Roberts registered 7.1 innings of scoreless work with just three hits allowed with four walks given up and eight punchouts. 
• Bucklin suffered the setback after giving up one run on three hits and one walk with one strikeout in 3.0 innings of relief. 
• Desmond came out of the pen for 0.2 innings and let up three runs on one hit and one walk with one K. 
• Jt Gunzy earned the victory with 4.1 innings of scoreless relief. He let up three hits and three walks and fanned five. 
• Glickman secured the save with 0.1 innings of work. 
• Louie Mosca started and put together a three-run (two earned), four-hit, three-walk, six-strikeout effort in 6.1 innings.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Iorio went 3-for-6 with one double and two RBI. 
• Colin Flynn and Gilbride both chipped in one hit and one run. The latter walked twice. 
• Sam Armbruster scored one run. 
• Joe Norris notched one hit, a double. 

NOTEWORTHY

• The Rams went into extra innings for the second time this season. 
• The 11-inning out is the longest for Suffolk this year and longest since its 11-inning, 13-12 triumph over Gordon in the CCC Play-In Game May 8, 2023. 
• Suffolk is now 0-2 in extra innings outings in 2024. 
• Suffolk is now 0-3 in CCC regular-season extra-innings contests all-time.
• Overall, the Rams are 1-3 in extra-innings versus CCC counterparts in regular-season and postseason play. 
• Suffolk and Roger Williams went into extra innings for the first time since March 13, 2015. The Rams won that outing, 3-2, in 12 innings. 
• The Rams are now 6-12 all-time versus the Hawks. 
• Norris notched the second double of his collegiate career.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk and Roger Williams are back in action for the nightcap this afternoon.