DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Despite 11 strikeouts from starting pitcher Harry Painter, Suffolk baseball fell to UMass Dartmouth in game two of a non-conference doubleheader Saturday at the UMass Dartmouth Baseball Field. The Corsairs took advantage of Rams' relievers to come back and used a bases loaded hit by pitch in the bottom of the seventh to walk-off the win.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 8 | UMass Dartmouth 9
RECORDS: Suffolk (12-9) | UMass Dartmouth (8-13)
HOW IT HAPPENED
A two-run double by Ryan Jones in the first frame gave the Corsairs a 2-0 lead that remained until the top of the fourth when Suffolk's offense got going.
Alex Sorenti-Burns's sac fly scored Jonny Gilbride, who wore a pitch, to bring the first Rams run of the day in. One batter latter with runners on second and third, Sam Armbruster sent the ball to left center to send Suffolk in front 4-2.
The Corsairs pulled within one in the home half of the inning on a throwing error by Suffolk's backstop Christopher White.
Garret Roberts extended the Rams edge to 6-3 in the top of the fifth with a two-run shot to left field.
UMass Dartmouth caught up and then some with a five-run sixth to put Suffolk in an 8-6 hole. A bases loaded walk was followed by a grand slam of Nick Bartalini's bat gave the host an 8-6 advantage.
Painter worked a four-pitch walk to get the inning underway and one out later Gilbride lobbed a ball over the center field fence to tie things at 8-all. Sorenti-Burns was hit by a pitch to take first and was replaced on the bags by pinch runner Joe Norris. Norris was caught swiping second and the 8-all game would head to the bottom of the seventh.
The Corsairs chucked the bags with no outs to put reliever Patrick Desmond in a tough spot. The right-handed sat down Francisco Manon swinging for the first out of the frame. With Brett Baker at the plate the skies opened and rained poured down. The ball got away from Desmond and graced Baker, which allowed the Corsairs to walk-off with the victory, 9-8.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Harry Painter had a day on the mound with 11 strikeouts over 5.0 innings with three runs (two earned), on three hits and two walks.
- Gregory Kaufman gave up five runs on four hits and one walk in 1.0 inning of relief.
- Desmond took the setback after letting up one run on one hit and one walk with one strikeout in 0.1 innings of work.
- UMD used five different pitchers.
- Aiden Newhall started and allowed of runs on one hit and one walk with five strikeouts in 4.0 innings.
- Anthony Keefe (2 R, 2 H, 1 BB) and Jordan Paradis tossed 1.0 inning of relief each.
- Will Pacheco (2 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K) shoved 0.2 innings of relief and Nathan Potter came out of the pen for 0.1 frame of action.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Gilbride and Roberts both brought in two runs on one hit and scored two runs each. The seniors each had one dinger to their credit.
- Armbruster logged three RBI on one hit, a homer, and scored one run.
- Sorenti-Burns supplied one hit, a double, and one RBI.
- Painter registered two runs and two walks.
- Max Iorio added one run.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk had multiple homers in a game for the fourth time this season.
- The Rams had back-to-back games with homers for the second time this season, first since knocking one out of the park versus Mass. Maritime March 19 before hiting four homers the following day in a 15-13 win at WPI March 20.
- Gilbride sent a ball out of the park in back-to-back games for the first time in his collegiate career.
- Gilbride (5), Roberts (2) and Armbruster (1) all logged homers.
- Painter struck out a career-high 11 batters. The 11 strikeouts are the most by a single Suffolk pitcher since Charles Batchelder sat down 11 in a 7.0 inning, complete win over Rivier April 6, 2019.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Rams go for the sweep of the Corsairs with game two coming up this afternoon.
