EAST BOSTON – Suffolk softball's defense was caught off guard late, which allowed Wentworth to comeback and grab game two, 4-2, Sunday afternoon at East Boston Memorial Park.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2 | Wentworth 4
RECORDS: Suffolk (9-13) | Wentworth (1-7)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Zeros were on either side of the board until the bottom of the third. Three straight singles from Ally Cifaratta, Ashley Zulla and Savannah Scripter juiced the bags. Leina Belog took a pitch to the back, which allowed the first run of the day to come in. The Rams look to do more damage, but the Leopards third baseman turned a double play to keep the gap at one.
The Leopards leveled the playing field in the top of the fifth behind a misplay from Suffolk's centerfielder. Brionna Myers singled to right field to start the stanza and advanced to second on a sac by Isabelle Frank. An out later, Kaitlin Pettenger singled to center and when Caitlin Murphy went to scoop up the ball she over ran it, which allowed Myers to round third and score the tying run.
The sixth stanza was almost an identical mirror of the fifth frame for the Leopards. Erin Hancock singled, moved over on a sac and took advantage of Julia Bollentin's single to center that was followed by another Murphy mistake that allowed Hancock to score the go-ahead run.
Suffolk looked to make up some ground in the bottom half of the sixth, but stranded Hailey Cockroft, who singled, to remain in a 2-1 hole.
Kennedy Reyes took care of the first out in the seventh before Wentworth figured the twirler out and put a pair of runners on thanks to a walk and single up the middle. Leina Belog came in to toss and quickly got the second out.
With runners on first and second, Belog threw a strike that Erin Hancock got a barrel on. The Leopards pitcher hit down the first base line right to Kelly Keane. Suffolk's senior could not make the reach and the ball dribbled down right field line. That fielding hiccup allowed one WIT run score and in the meantime the ball rolled past Zulla in right to allow another Leopard come in. Those two errors put Suffolk in a 4-1 hole.
Wentworth secured the first two outs quickly and was one away from taking its first victory of the season. Zulla had other things in mind as she knocked a high ball over the right center fence to keep the Rams' comeback dreams alive.
That bomb was followed by a Scripter single through the left side, which let Belog bring the game-tying run to the dish. The sophomore popped up to the pitcher to seal Suffolk's set-back fate.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Kennedy Reyes allowed four runs on six hits and four walks over 6.1 innings with three strikeouts.
- Belog tossed 0.2 frames of relief.
- Hancock locked up the win in 3.0 innings of relief effort. She limited Suffolk to one run on three hits with a pair of punchouts.
- DeMedeiros started in the circle and let up one run on eight hits and one walk with two Ks through 4.0 innings.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Zulla went 3-for-4 with one homer for one RBI and one run scored.
- Cifaratta contributed one hit and one run.
- Cockroft, Murphy and Scripter supplied two hits.
- Boci had one hit, a double.
- Belog brought in one run.
NOTEWORTHY
- Boci barreled the first extra-base hit of her career.
- Zulla hit a homer in back-to-back games for the second time this season and fifth time in her collegiate career.
POST-GAME PIC
SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
Suffolk and Wentworth are in store for more action Tuesday, April 13 when the Rams pay the Leopards a visit for more non-conference action. Game one is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m.
