This week in Suffolk University sports: Baseball continues season-opening struggles, softball splits conference-opening doubleheader and lacrosse surges in record-setting week
Baseball mixes one win into week full of struggles
Taking on Rivier University in their home opener March 17, baseball lost a high-scoring, back-and-forth showdown with the Raiders, losing 12-11 to drop to 0-8.
Rams pitching gave up five runs in the third inning, two runs in the fifth and four runs in the eighth for three multi-run innings by Rivier, countering with three innings of three runs by their own offense. Jackson Garcia and Jonathan Marcotte were the only Rams pitchers to have scoreless outings as a comeback attempt fell just short.
Suffolk bounced back two days later against the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, picking up win number one of the season with an 8-6 triumph over the Engineers. The Rams held a 1-0 lead entering the fourth inning before a six-run explosion on offense to pad the lead to 7-0. Anthony Ferreira allowed four runs in seven innings pitched, striking out six hitters to deliver a much-needed strong start for Suffolk pitching.
The weekend brought a March 21 doubleheader against Tufts University, with the Jumbos sweeping the doubleheader by scores of 5-3 and 10-0 to drop the Rams’ record to 1-10 entering Conference of New England play.
Four of Tufts’ five runs came in the second inning off Suffolk starter Nick Arnett, on a pair of RBI singles and a two-run double. A two-run home run by Sam Armbruster in the fourth and a solo shot by Luke Thornton in the sixth cut into the deficit for the Rams, but that was all they could manage in game one.
Suffolk only managed three hits in game two of the doubleheader as Tufts scored four times in the second inning off starter Harry Meehan and five times in the seventh off Cam Martin as they cruised to the 10-0 win. Ben Cassavoy pitched two shutout innings for the Rams and Nolan Drew had one in between the appearances of Meehan and Martin.
Against Endicott College March 24, the Rams lost in eight innings to the Gulls by a 10-0 run-rule decision, falling to 1-11 overall. Adam Regan broke the scoreless tie in the third for the Gulls with a long solo home run to left field. Endicott then scored four times in the fourth and three times in the fifth to break the game open. Max Jarvie and Ben Gill held the Suffolk offense to three hits and two walks in the decisive win.
Softball starts conference play with doubleheader split
Facing CNE rival Nichols College in a doubleheader March 21, softball split the twinbill with the Bison to remain at a .500 record, sitting at 7-7 overall and 1-1 in CNE play.
Game one of the day saw Suffolk pitcher Cynthia Rucinski give up six earned runs and one more unearned on 11 hits and five walks, while Bison starter Olivia Pedro held the Rams offense to five hits and one walk in a complete game shutout, with the Bison cruising to a 7-0 win on the back of a four-run sixth inning.
After two innings in game two, the Rams were in a 5-0 hole. Thanks to a two-run home run in the fourth by Lily Newhall and a three-run fifth inning on the strength of run-scoring singles from Jolie Quintana and Catherine Carignan, Suffolk rallied to tie the game 5-5.
The Bison got one back in the sixth to take a 6-5 lead, setting the stage for another Rams rally in the seventh. With Pedro in the game pitching in relief, Julia Mills singled in Dana Still, and an errant throw allowed Quintana to score and put Suffolk ahead 7-6. Mills then scored on a single by Newhall up the middle to make it 8-6, a score that would hold.
Lacrosse shines with record-setting week
By far the most successful team of the spring season has been lacrosse, with the Rams having started year two as a program in strong fashion. Opening CNE play against Curry College March 17, the Rams picked up a 16-6 win to improve to 2-0 against the Colonels all-time.
A 4-2 score after the first quarter quickly became lopsided in the second, as the Rams outscored the Colonels 6-1 to take a 10-3 lead into halftime, thanks in part to three straight goals by Bridget O’Leary and a first-half hat-trick by Julia Dickinson. They outscored Curry 5-1 in the third as well to put the game out of reach, with O’Leary ending the day with six goals.
Facing Fitchburg State University two days later, the Rams doubled up the Falcons on the scoreboard with a dominant 22-11 win, despite trailing 4-3 after the first quarter. O’Leary was the star of the show once again with six goals and four assists, while Dickinson scored five times to go with a pair of assists. Zoe Peckham added five points for the Rams on the strength of four goals and an assist.
The 22-goal game was a program record for all of two days, as the Rams were even more dominating against CNE foe Gordon College, routing the Fighting Scots with a decisive and utterly dominant 23-4 victory on the road March 21. Suffolk scored 10 times in the first quarter, five times in the second and four times in both the third and fourth, while allowing only eight shots to reach goalie Charlotte Guziejka.
Dickinson increased her streak of hat-trick performances to seven games with a four-goal showing. Dickinson, O’Leary, Peckham, Lauren Woods, Jessie Le and Carley Ehwa all scored at least three goals, as Ehwa and Peckham increased their hat-trick streak to two games and O’Leary’s reached three.
Men’s tennis starts season against conference competition
Starting the season and CNE play against Roger Williams University March 17, men’s tennis lost 7-0 to the Hawks to fall to 0-5 against them lifetime and extend their season-opener losing streak to eight games.
Facing the University of Saint Joseph March 21, the Rams entered the win column for the first time ever against the Blue Jays, improving to 1-2 against them in the all-time series with a 4-3 win.
The duo of Christian Gardner and Abhi Patel won their doubles match, while Jason Yany and Ishmam Amin lost theirs. Suffolk was awarded the doubles point because the Blue Jays couldn’t field a third doubles team and forfeited the point. In singles play, Gardner and Patel won their matches, while three Blue Jays won on the other three courts. The last singles point went to Suffolk’s Anders Ovren via forfeit, giving the Rams the fourth point needed to win.
The Rams’ CNE schedule continued against Western New England University March 24, a match the Golden Bears swept 7-0 to drop the Rams’ record to 1-2 to begin the season.
