EAST BOSTON – Suffolk softball willed its way back into the win column, answering every time Endicott got in ahead as Ashley Zulla wore the hero cape to help the Rams walk-off, 11-10, in eight innings in the closer of a non-conference twinbill Wednesday night at East Boston Memorial Park. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 11 | Endicott 10
RECORDS: Suffolk (6-12) | Endicott (5-1) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Caitlin Murphy led off with a stand-up double to right center. Suffolk's centerfielder stayed put until Ally Cifaratta moved her to third on a ground out to second. A wild pitch during Zulla at bat allowed Murphy to come in and put the first tick on the scoreboard. 

Endicott answered with one run of its own in the top of the third. The tied scored didn't last long as the Rams regained its edge and added another run to take a 3-1 lead. Errors and free bases loaded the bases before Cifaratta worked a base on balls to put the blue-and-gold ahead. The Gulls made a change in the circle as Molly O'Neill took over for Gwen Stafford. One out later, Savannah Scripter collected an RBI on a ground out to short, which gave the hosts the two-run margin.  

That advantage lasted until Endicott flipped things in its favor in the fifth. Adrianna Favreau began the rally with a two-run homer to lock the score at 3-all, before a Rams. Error allowed another run to score to put the visitors in front, 4-3.  

The distance grew even further in the top of the sixth when the Gulls added two more runs. Favreau played a factor again as she drew a two-out walk to keep the inning alive. Raven Comotois then doubled down the left field line to plate Favreau and Comotois came in on Lauren Misiaszek's single through the right side to double the distance, 6-3.  

A Rams response came in the home half of the sixth. Leina Belog led off the inning with a double down the left field line and Ira Boci followed that with a walk. Michaela Hamill came in to twirl for the visitors. Rebecca Gonzalez knocked a single off the fresh arm to juice the bags and Caitlin Murphy struck a single to right field to start the comeback.  

One out later, a dropped ball by Endicott's first baseman Meghan Connor not only let Cifaratta reach, but allowed Boci to score the tying run and kept the inning going. Zulla brought in the go-ahead run on a single through the left side before Scripter's single to the opposite side of the field gave the Rams a two-run lead, 8-6. 

Endicott did not go down without a fight. Christina Nowicki bunted for a base hit and Morgan Peryer followed with a single of her own to put the tying runs on the bags. DaSilva double down the left field line to equalize matters at 8-all. The scoring did not stop there as a dropped pop up by Gonzalez allowed the Gulls to go up one, 9-8.  

Brooke Cloak did not flinch when Suffolk's back was against the wall in the bottom of the seventh. The junior outfielder double to left and moved over on a perfectly placed bunt by pinch hitter Rachel Doan. Hamill sat down Gonzalez looking and it look as though the game would go to the Gulls. Murphy, however, had other things in mind. The blue-and-gold's centerfielder put the ball into play down the first base line. Endicott's first baseman Carly Marchitto ran down the line to make the play. Marchitto could not get a handle on the ball, which allowed Murphy to safely reach first and Clock to score the game-tying run and force extra innings.  

In free softball, Endicott managed to get one run on the board. The placed runner on second, Marchitto, stole third and scored on Nowicki's single to right field to put the Rams in a one-run hole.  

Suffolk had to play catch up once again. Luciano took her spot at second base and advance to third when Cifaratta singled up the middle. Cifaratta sniped second standing up to place to runners in scoring position for Zulla. The senior catcher showed her composer and barreled a deep ball to the right field fence. Her stand-up double cleared the bases to walk-off win for Suffolk.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Constance Phelan came in to pick up the decision. The Rams' reliever let up four runs, two earned, on five hits with one strikeout in 2.1 innings. 
• Kennedy Reyes started for Suffolk. She gave up six runs, four earned, on 10 hits and five walks with four punchouts. 
• Hamill slipped to 2-1 on the year after allowing six runs, one earned, on seven hits with three punchouts in 1.2 innings. 
• Stafford earned the nod and put together a three-run (one earned), two-hit, three-walk, two-strikeout effort in 2.0 innings. 
• O'Neill went 3.1 frames in which she allowed two runs, one earned on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Zulla finished with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate with one double and three RBI.
• Murphy contributed three runs, two hits and one RBI. 
• Clock chipped in two hits and one run.  
• Cifaratta registered two runs, one hit, one RBI, one walk and one stolen base. 
• Gonzalez notched two runs scored and one hit. 
• Scripter recorded two RBI and one hit.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk went into extra innings for the first time since May 2, 2019 when it battled Saint Joseph's (Maine) in 11 innings in the GNAC Tournament. 
• The Rams won an extra-inning outing for the first time since besting Emmanuel, 4-3, in eight-innings in the 2018 GNAC Semifinals May 6, 2018. 
• Suffolk and Endicott needed extra time for the first time in the all-time series. 
• The Rams snapped a four-game skid against the Gulls. 
• Suffolk defeated Endicott in Boston for the first time. 
• Gonzalez is on a three-game hit streak and matched her personal-best one hit and set a career-high two runs scored. 
• Murphy matched a career-high three runs scored. 
• Cifaratta tied a personal-best in runs scored (2) and stolen bases (1).
• Cloak hit the seventh double of her collegiate career.
• Doan had the first sacrifice hit of her collegiate career.   

POST-GAME PIC
  

SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
Suffolk is set for a full weekend with Wentworth. The Rams will pay the Leopards a visit Saturday, April 10 for a conference clash before the teams meet in Eastie Sunday, April 11 in out-of-league action. Both doubleheader battles are set for a 12 p.m. first pitch.