Two-Run Ninth Inning Pushes Baseball Past Curry

MILTON, Mass. – The Suffolk baseball team used a two-run ninth inning to secure an 8-6 victory at Curry Thursday afternoon. 

Curry (5-9) jumped out to an early two-run lead in the bottom of the first inning with junior Nick Crivello doubling in both senior John Arens and freshman Tyler Jenkins, who singled and was hit by a pitch, respectively. 

Suffolk (13-4) responded in the following half inning with one swing of the bat as freshman Jake Frasca hit a home run to left field, putting the score to 2-1. Junior Matt Brenner tied the score with a  homer of his own in the following visiting half inning. 

Arens got things started in the home half of the third with a double to right field and was followed by a walk of junior Alex McLean to put the first two runners on. Both runners advanced on a pass ball during senior Phil Pere'z at bat, where he later drew a walk to load the bases for Jenkins. The freshman supplied a sacrifice fly to score Arens and Crivello. In the next at bat, McLeans reached on an error to score McLean, giving the Colonels a two-run lead, 4-2 after a full three. 

Senior Jon Lapolla opened up the fourth with a double, but got caught too far off second base on Frasca's fielder's choice and was erased. Drew Carter pushed Frasca to second as the senior drew a walk and junior Luke Ronchi doubled in Frasca to cut the lead in half, but the Curry starter, senior Kyle Connors, got out of the inning keeping the score at 4-3. 

After 2.5 scoreless innings, another run finally made its way on the board in the top of the seventh when sophomore Seth Coiley homered in classmate Brady Chant, who singled at the beginning of the inning. The Rams took the lead, if only by a slim margin going into the bottom of the seventh. 

Arens led off the inning with a double again and advanced on a passed ball during Perez's at bat, where he eventually went down swinging. Jenkins came up and supplied a pop fly that was dropped by the right fielder, which plated Arens, tying the game up again. 

Carter responded right away for the Rams, leading the top of the eight with a home run to centerfield that cleared the bleachers in the next field over to retake the lead for Suffolk. 

After two quick outs in the next half inning, Arens supplied a single and advanced to second on McLean's walk. Both would move two passes on a pass  ball in an eventual walk for Perez, tying up the game at six apiece heading into the final inning. 

Chant started the inning with a walk and was sacrificed bunted over by senior Rob Marks to bring up Kevin Belskie. The junior, who pinch hit for BJ Neil, grounded out to the right side to put Chant on third. Similar to Curry, the Rams took advantage of a mistake as Chant crossed home on a passed ball during Lapolla's at bat, where he went on to single himself on. Frasca followed with a single of his own to bring up Carter, who delivered an insurance RBI single to left field to put the score at the eventual final, 8-6. 

Cal Carroll came into the mound for the final inning, picking up his third save of the season. The senior right-hander sandwiched two strikeouts around a highlight reel catch by Chant that sealed the 8-6 non-conference triumph for Suffolk. 

Frasca, who took over the mound in the seventh, earned thew in for the Rams, going one and a third allowing a hit and an unearned run, while striking out one batter. 

Suffolk sets its sights on conference action Saturday afternoon as the Rams travel to Lasell for a doubleheader with the Lasers set to begin at 3 p.m.