EAST BOSTON – Suffolk softball secured its CCC opening doubleheader sweep behind a 7-0 victory over Wentworth in game two Saturday afternoon at East Boston Memorial Park.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 7 | Wentworth 0
RECORDS: Suffolk (4-6, 2-0 CCC) | Wentworth (0-4, 0-2 CCC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The late offense that helped push the Rams ahead last in game one was front and center in the beginning of the nightcap. Caitlin Murphy got Suffolk's offensive game going with a lead-off triple. Bianca Luciano drew a walk and stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position for Ally Cifaratta, who singled to left field, to clear the bases and give Suffolk a 2-0 edge. 

Then Ashley Zulla emptied the bases too. The senior homered to left center to quickly double the advantage. A pitching change and two batters later, after Savannah Scripter singled to, Leina Belog hit the rock to the near exact same spot Zulla did. The sophomore's jack pushed the margin to 6-0.  

Suffolk, who cycled through the order in the first, stretch the distance to seven runs in the home half of the second. Once again Murphy started things off with a single to left field and sniped second. Luciano grounded out to the pitcher, which allowed Murphy to take third and come in on Cifaratta's ground out to short.  

The early scoring was all the blue-and-gold needed as Kennedy Reyes took care of business from there on out including a first and third, one-out situation in the top of the fifth, to lock up the shutout.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Reyes picked up the shutout, complete-game effort behind a five-hit, one-walk, three-strikeout effort. 
• Erin Hancock suffered the setback after giving up six runs on five hits and one walk in less than a full frame of work. 
• Kayla DeMedeiros came in for 6.0 innings or relief. She let up one run on seven hits with one K to her credit.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Zulla was near perfect at the plate with a 4-for-4 effort. She had one homer with two RBI and one run scored. 
• Murphy contributed a 3-for-4 performance with one triple and two runs scored. 
• Cifaratta registered three RBI, one hit and one run scored. 
• Belog brought in two runs on her lone hit of the afternoon with one run on her stat line as well. 
• Scripter added one hit and one run. 
• Luciano scored one run, while Rebecca Gonzalez and Ira Boci each chipped in one hit.   

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk remains unbeaten in CCC contests.  
• Suffolk moved to 2-0 against Wentworth in the Jaclyn Davis era. 
• Suffolk moved to 13-3 all-time against the Leopards. 
• The shutout win is the first for the blue-and-gold since a 1-0 decision over Alfred March 8, 2020. 
• The Rams kept the Leopards off the scoreboard for the third time in the all-time series, first since a 10-0 triumph April 3, 2003. 
• Suffolk knocked a pair of bombs in back-to-back battles for the second time since April 17-18, 2018. 
• The Rams had two jacks in the same outing for the second time this year. 
• Zulla struck homers in back-to-back games for the fourth time in her collegiate career, first since doing so in 2018 GNAC Tournament against Emmanuel and Johnson & Wales May 6, 2018. The senior is the last Ram to have back-to-back games with at least one bomb in each. 
• Zulla set a new career-high in hits with four. 
• Zulla is on a three-game hit streak.  

POST-GAME PIC
  

SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
Suffolk is set to take on Gordon Wednesday, March 31. The midweek action is set to begin at 2:30 p.m.