EAST BOSTON – Suffolk softball saw its 4-2 lead vanish as Emerson exploded for a nine-run fifth frame en route to a 14-8 decision over the Rams in the nightcap of a non-conference doubleheader Friday at East Boston Memorial Park. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 8 | Emerson 14
RECORDS: Suffolk (1-9) | Emerson (8-4)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
A pair of doubles in the second stanza helped the Lions take a 1-0 lead. Makenzie Kilough led off with a double to right, advanced to third on a wild pitch and coasted in behind Kit Zenga's two-bagger to left center.  

An inning later the Rams rallied around Catherine Carignan's double to start a scoring stretch of their own. Carignan's double to right brought in Caitlin Murphy, who led off with an infield single, perfectly placed inside the fair third base line and got dirty with a stolen base to get into scoring position. Carignan put on her running shoes on Ava Brandow's deep single to right center to send Suffolk in front.  

The blue-and-gold tacked on two more runs -- one on a productive ground out to first by Becky Zellin and another behind Ira Boci's base hit through the right side – to jump ahead, 4-1. 

Emerson chipped the deficit down to one in the top of the fourth. A fielding error by Lily Gustafson allowed Jessica Gomez to reach safely. The Lions designated player swiped second and used Ally Lacey's single through the left side to slice Suffolk's advantage in half, 4-2. 

The Lions leaped back in front in the top of the fifth. Emerson used four hits, two walks and few wild pitches to put five runs on the board before Sam Zannotti barreled a grand slam to stretch the visitor's cushion to 11-4.  

Extra base hits factored into Suffolk's scoring in the home half of the sixth. Zellin led off with a double to right and two batters later Delaney Doidge sent the ball over the fence to nearly the same spot to pull the host back within five. 

Emerson made up the ground that Doidge's bomb got back with three runs in the top of the seventh to make it an eight-run, 14-6, margin. 

Suffolk mounted a comeback as fielding mishaps by the Lions put pinch hitter Ally Cifaratta and Carignan on first and second, respectively. Brandow knocked a double to the left field fence to plate Cifaratta before Carignan came in thanks to Savannah Scripter's sac fly to right. 

After Scripter sacrificed herself, Jessica Gomez locked up the next two outs to seal the setback fate for Suffolk. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Brandow took the loss after giving up seven runs, six earned, on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts over 4.2 innings of work. 
• Julia Newcomb tossed 2.1 innings of relief and let up four runs, two earned, on one hit and five walks with four punchouts.
• Ashlyn Conley also saw time in relief.
• Gomez earned the victory with 1.0 innings of relief. She allowed a pair of unearned runs on one hit and had one K. 
• Victorai Gage put together a four-run, six-hit, one-walk, two-strikeout performance in the first 3.0 innings. 
• Grace Beaulieu logged 2.1 innings of relief with two runs allowed on three hits.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Carignan contributed a 2-for-3 effort with both of her hits good for two bags. She scored twice and brought in one run. 
• Brandow registered a 2-for-4 effort with one double for two RBI and one run scored. 
• Zellin pitched in a 2-for-4 performance with one double to go along with one RBI and one run. 
• Doidge brought in two runs on her lone hit, a homer, and scored once. 
• Scripter notched one hit and one RBI on a sac fly. 
• Caitlin Murphy added one hit, one run and one stolen base. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Carignan matched a career-high in hits (2) and RBI (1) and set a personal-best in doubles (2) and runs scored (2). 
• Doidge hit her first collegiate homer and set a new career-high in RBI (2). 
• Zellin matched a personal-best in hits (2) and doubles (1).  

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk is ideal until next Thursday, March 30 when it battles UMass Boston in a Beantown twinbill battle.