This week in Suffolk University sports: baseball goes .500, softball stumbles, men’s tennis handed pair of shutouts, golf continues spring slate, track & field divides forces.
Baseball had a six-game week, facing non-conference foes UMass Boston and Emerson College while mixing in Commonwealth Coast Conference games against Western New England University and Endicott College.
At home against UMass Boston April 10, the Rams lost their third straight game, falling 12-5 to the Beacons, with UMass Boston scoring six runs in the third inning and three in the ninth. Facing the Beacons again the next day, Suffolk fell 5-4 as a late-game rally came up short. Four of UMass Boston’s five runs came in the first inning.
The offense stepped up for the Rams against Western New England in a road doubleheader April 14. Max Iorio hit a grand slam in the fourth inning to break what was a 6-6 tie and put Suffolk ahead 10-6. The Rams won the game in a 16-7 slugfest.
In game two, the Rams were able to sweep the doubleheader with a 6-3 victory. Harry Painter shined on the mound, allowing two runs while racking up 10 strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings as he picked up his second win of the season. Alex Sorenti-Burns paced the Rams offense with a two-RBI game as he went two-for-two at the plate.
Facing Emerson on Marathon Monday, the Rams won via the mercy rule, taking care of the Lions with a 16-6 victory. Suffolk scored three runs in the first, four in the fifth and six in the eighth to win their third straight game.
Hosting top-ranked Endicott April 16 at East Boston Memorial Park, the Gulls scored 12 runs in the first three innings to win 12-0 going away. Endicott tagged Suffolk pitcher Patrick Desmond for six runs, John McDevitt for four and Cam Martin for two as the commanding early lead proved to be enough.
Suffolk softball had a busy eight-game week with six conference games in that stretch. Playing Emmanuel College on the other side of Boston April 10, the Rams split the doubleheader, with Emmanuel winning the first game 5-1 before the Rams won 6-4 in the second game.
Traveling to Nichols College for a doubleheader April 13, the Bison took both ends of the doubleheader. Game one was a close 4-3 loss in eight innings for the Rams, while the Bison took the second game a little more comfortably by a 4-1 score.
Playing Gordon College in a doubleheader a day later, the Rams were able to split the two-game day. The Fighting Scots ran away with a 9-4 win in the first game. Game two was a much closer contest, with the Rams winning 5-4 in walk off fashion in extra innings.
The Rams wrapped up the busy week with a doubleheader against the University of New England on Marathon Monday after the doubleheader was rescheduled from April 6. It was another doubleheader split, with the Rams winning a tight game one 7-6 before being shut out in the nightcap 2-0. They now stand at 14-16 with 10 games left in the regular season.
Suffolk men’s tennis had a two-match week, going winless convincingly. In a CCC playoff rematch against Roger Williams University, the Hawks dealt the Rams a 9-0 loss, sweeping singles and doubles action.
The Rams’ fortunes didn’t change against Eastern Nazarene College April 16, with the Rams losing again in shutout fashion by a 9-0 score. The 9-0 victory over Curry College April 8 stands as the Rams only win of the season with three matches to go.
Both Suffolk golf teams had spring season action this past week. The men’s squad finished fifth out of seven teams in the Hartford Hawks Invitational from April 12-13. The women’s team finished eighth out of 15 teams at the Cortland Martin / Wallace Invitational in Cortland, New York.
The men’s and women’s outdoor track & field teams split up again over the weekend, going to both the Silfen Invitational in New London, Connecticut, and the Penmen Relays in Hooksett, New Hampshire. No team scores were calculated at the Penmen Relays on either side. The men’s team at the Silfen Invitational finished 17th out of the 27 team field, while the women’s team finished tied for 19th out of 22 teams.
