EAST BOSTON – Suffolk softball stranded the tying run and left the winning-run at the plate as the University of New England handed the Rams a 4-2 setback in the opener of a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader Friday at East Boston Memorial Park.   

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2 | UNE 4
RECORDS: Suffolk (3-13, 2-3 CCC) | UNE (5-16, 2-3 CCC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk capitalized on a Nor'Easters error to take an early edge in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Ally Cifaratta reached first after Makenzy Herron dropped the ball in left. A pair of base hits later, Cifaratta crossed home to give the Rams the lead. The blue-and-gold's third baseman scored thanks to Catherine Carignan's single up the middle.  

UNE leveled the playing field in the next half inning as K Bessette's double to left center brought in J. DuPont, who worked a one-out walk. 

In the top of the fifth, the Nor'Easters grabbed a 3-1 cushion off an error by the Rams infield and four hits.  

UNE took advantage of Suffolk's second fielding mishap of the day to put the host in a three-run hole in the home half of the seventh. 

Caitlin Murphy singled up the middle and Savannah Scripter wore a pitch to put two ducks in the pond, however, two outs were on the board. Delaney Doidge grounded to second for a routine play that the Nor'Easters first baseman Abby Miner dropped, which allowed Murphy to come in and keep the game going. With the go-ahead run at the dish, Ira Boci lofted a long shot to center, that was gloved by Becca Dumont to end the action in the visitor's favor. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Ava Brandow took the loss after serving a complete-game. She let up four runs, just one earned, on seven hits and four walks with five strikeouts. 
• Kara MacDonald earned the win with a two-run, both unearned, six-hit, two-walk, six-strikeout, complete-game effort.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Carignan had one RBI on one hit. 
• Cifaratta registered one hit, a double, and one run. 
• Murphy chipped in one hit and one run. 
• Lily Gustafson, Boci and Brandow added one hit each. 

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk and UNE complete the conference doubleheader tonight under the lights in Eastie.