Trailing by two runs at multiple points in game one of their doubleheader against the University of Hartford, Suffolk University softball kept fighting. Tied in the bottom of the final inning with a runner on third and the outcome of the game in her hands, freshman Roma Braid had just one thing on her mind: “Get a hit.”
Braid then blasted a pitch to right field, driving in senior Charis Fenter to cement the comeback and earn the Rams a 6-5 walkoff win in Revere April 18.
Following the game, Braid praised the team for their effort throughout the comeback.
“We did so good and it was a team win,” said Braid. “Everyone’s strumming along.”
Suffolk trailed for most of the game, starting with a 2-0 deficit in the third inning. The Rams finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, when Braid brought in fellow freshman Kendal Heyman for the run.
In the fifth inning, Hartford struck again to make it a 3-1 ballgame, but the Rams struck back quickly in the bottom of the fifth when Heyman launched a two-run double to right field, tying the game at three.
Momentum rocked back and forth, with Hartford quickly bouncing back and putting another pair of runs on the board to lead 5-3 with just over an inning left to play.
In the bottom of the sixth, freshman Dana Still cut the lead to one then was driven in by senior Catherine Carignan for the tying run, making it a 5-5 game.
Starting pitcher Cynthia Rucinski proceeded to clean up in the seventh inning, giving Suffolk the opportunity for a walkoff victory on their home field.
Braid made note of the team’s determination which led to her heroic walkoff hit.
“We can overcome any obstacle no matter the score, we’re just going to keep going until we pull it off,” said Braid.
Head coach Megan Cook praised the team’s ability to make adjustments throughout the game and stressed their dedication to playing in the moment no matter what the score is.
“We try not to read too much into the outcome of previous innings,” said Cook. “We try to work at one inning, one at bat, one pitch at a time and we were able to string them and pop them through.”
In game two of the doubleheader, Carignan made her first start of the season at pitcher, filling in for senior Lily Newhall as she rested due to a minor ankle injury.
Cook talked about the decision to start Carignan at pitcher for game two.
“Cat’s an athlete, a competitor. She has pitching experience. Not trying to make a moment too big, she’s a competitor and I’m not going to take that out of her hands. I have full confidence that she can get on the mound and put it across the plate, and she can. She did,” said Cook.
As the wind picked up and the temperatures dropped in game two, not much went Suffolk’s way as they dropped the game 8-2.
Though asked to pitch, Carignan stayed in the batting lineup and recorded a hit. Carignan pitched just over two innings in her first start, striking out one and giving up two earned runs before Rucinski was put in as relief.
Junior Ava Lanza and freshman Claire Basaldua drove in Suffolk’s only runs of game two.
Splitting the doubleheader, the Rams moved to 15-14 on the season, going 3-1 at their new home field in Revere. They return home against the Wentworth Institute of Technology April 25.
