Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader From Husson

The Suffolk University Baseball team swept a doubleheader on Friday afternoon against Husson University taking game one, 1-0 before winning in 10 innings in game two by a 4-3 margin.

Game One

Junior Josh Desai (Shrewsbury, Mass.) fired a complete game four hitter for his first victory of the year on the mound for Suffolk. Desai struck out five hitters through seven innings of work on the hill.

Freshman Luke Ronchi (Randolph, Mass.) was 3-for-4 to help pace a seven hit attack for Suffolk on the afternoon.

Senior Jake Cintolo (Wrentham, Mass.) who was 2-for-4 in the game with a double, scored the lone run of the contest in the sixth on some heads up baserunning. With two outs and Cintolo on second, senior pinch hitter Mike Muse (Milton, Mass.) hit a sharp ground ball to second base. As the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag, Cintolo rounded third scoring the game's only run.

Desai would manage to escape a bases loaded jam with two outs in the third and also got out of a jam in the seventh as the Eagles put the tying run on first with one out in the inning but were unable to get into scoring position.

It would take Desai 102 pitches to get through the seven innings of work as the victory was his first career shutout in his 23rd career start.

Game Two

Luke Ronchi drove in the game winning run in the bottom of the tenth with a sacrifice fly to right to score sophomore Rob Marks (Revere, Mass.) for Suffolk's third straight victory.

Junior Frank Tierney (Hyde Park, Mass.) pitched 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for his first victory of the 2014 season in relief of junior Eli Libby (Sudbury, Mass.) who was the game two starter for Suffolk.

Libby was charged with three runs as he only allowed four hits through the first 6 1/3 innings.

With a 3-2 lead heading into the seventh, Libby would hit two batters in between a strikeout before giving way to Tierney. With runners on first and second, junior Casey Estes (Old Town, Me.) would single to load them up bringing the top of the Eagles' order to the plate. Senior Pat Thibodeau (Caribou, Me.) would tie the game up as he bounced a fielder's choice into the hole at short as Suffolk could not spin the double play to end the threat. Tierney would escape the jam leaving the game at 3-3.

Suffolk would have multiple chances to win it in their next three at bats but could not get the big hit to end it. They would load the bases with one out in the eighth, but could not come through before senior Mac Jacobson (Norfolk, Mass.) would lead the ninth off by drawing his third hit by pitch of the afternoon.

In the tenth, Marks would get things going by singling to left to lead the inning off. After stealing second sophomore Jon Lapolla (Providence, R.I.) then drew a base on balls. A balk would follow moving both runners into scoring position before an intentional walk to junior pinch hitter JC Collette (Amesbury, Mass.) put a force at each base. Ronchi would then line to right on a 1-2 count to bring Marks home for the winning run.

Ronchi scored the game's first run in the third as he came around on a wild pitch.

Both teams would trade a pair of runs in the fourth.

Husson would get on the board when senior Josh Gaudette (Waterville, Me.) hit a two run double to left to give the Eagles the slim lead at 2-1.

Suffolk would get back in the bototm half of the inning when Lapolla hit his first career home run, a two-run towering blast into the wind in left to make it a 3-2 game.

Lapolla was 2-for-4 in game two as Suffolk only mustered four hits in the victory.

Despite the low hit total, the Rams still managed to leave 13 runners on base in the game courtesy of eight walks, three hit by pitches and three Eagles' errors.

Suffolk will be back in action on Saturday morning as they close out their 10-day annual spring trip taking on William Paterson University at Bonny Eagle Park at 10:00am.