Baseball Locks Up Series Sweep with Offensive Onslaught of Rivier

BOSTON – The Suffolk baseball team's bats were firing on all cylinders as the Rams rattled off the most runs in five seasons to trounce Rivier, 24-6, in the closer of a GNAC twin bill at East Boston Memorial Park Sunday afternoon.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 24, Rivier 6
RECORDS: Suffolk (10-6, 4-0 GNAC) | Rivier (1-15, 0-4 GNAC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk grabbed a four-lead in the top of the first. An error put Brady Chant on first, before the junior sniped second and reached third on a passed ball. Seth Coiley and Matt Brenner each wore a pitch to set up designated hitter Greg Speliotis. The junior DH drew the walk to break open the score, and Luke Ronchi put real distance between the Rams and Raiders with a two RBI single through the left side to plate Coiley and Brenner. Speliotis and Ronchi moved into scoring position on a wild pitch and Kevin Belskie's sac fly to right scored Sepliotis to give the Rams' a 4-0 edge.

Rivier trimmed the margin to two in the home half of the inning, but the Raiders made a run scoring error in the second, giving the Rams a 3-0 advantage. That lead grew even larger in the next inning with three more blue-and-gold players coming in. With one down, Belskie's double to center field allowed Ronchi, who reached on a base on balls and stole second, to come in. BJ Neil followed the first baseman's extra base hit with one of his own, a triple to left center, to score Belskie. Kevin Higgins contributed a sacrifice fly to stretch Suffolk's lead to 8-2.

A monster fourth frame from Suffolk, which featured 11 runs, blossomed the visitors to 19-2.  The Rams nearly went through their entire line-up twice with eight different players notching an RBI in the outing. Highlights featured a two RBI triple from Chant, while Brenner and Tim Brigham tallied RBI doubles with Spelitois notching a ground-rule, two-RBI double as well.

Rivier crossed home four times in the bottom of the fifth, but the distance proved to be too much for the Raiders as Suffolk continued to pour in the runs. In the top of the sixth, five more Rams runs were put on the board for the 24-6 margin. For the first time on the day both teams were held scoreless in the seventh to keep it a 24-6 Suffolk victory.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Eleven different Rams combined for Suffolk's 18 hits.
• Belskie was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a team-high four RBI with two runs and one walk.
• Ronchi also knocked three hits, going 3-for-3, for 3 RBI, three runs and one base on balls.
• Higgins (2-3), Chant (2-5) Sean Cameron (2-6) also had multi-hit days.  Chant had three RBIs, while Higgins and Cameron recorded two RBIs apiece. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Kevin Sinatra picked up his first win of the season. The sophomore allowed six runs on nine hits and sat down nine hitters in 5.0 innings.
• Tyler Zell worked the final 2.0 innings. The sophomore held the Raiders scoreless, giving up two hits and punched out three batters.
• Three different arms tossed for Rivier. Ty Seaton suffered the setback with the starter letting up 14 runs (13 earned) on 10 hits and three walks. Jonathan Chotkowski (0.2 IP 5R, 5H) and Christopher Ciacci (3.1 IP, 5R, 3H, 4K) also saw time on the bump for Rivier. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk swept Rivier for the first time under three-year head coach Anthony Del Prete.
• The Rams opened GNAC action 4-0 for the first-time in the Del Prete era and first-time since rattling off nine consecutive conference victories to begin league play in 2014.
• Suffolk extended its win streak to six, its longest of the season and longest since stringing together seven victories April 23-28, 2015.
• The 24 runs mark the most under Del Prete and the highest total of runs since scoring 26 in a 26-6 win over Norwich in the GNAC Tournament April 24, 2016.
• Brigham scored the first run of his collegiate career and brought in his first-ever college run on the second double this season.
• Mark Fusco had his first collegiate at bat.
• Zack Aresty and Tommy Shimchak produced their first collegiate RBIs.   

POST-GAME PIC

UP NEXT
Suffolk takes its six-game streak on the road as it visits Curry Tuesday, April 11 for a 3 p.m. non-conference contest.