Baseball Slips to No. 1/3 UMass Boston in Series Opener

BOSTON – The Suffolk baseball team held a tied ball game with No. 1/3 UMass Boston heading into the bottom of the sixth before the Beacons used a two-run single to take a lead it would not relinquish. The Rams attempted come back did not come as they fell, 3-1, to open the two-game non-conference series Saturday afternoon at Monan Park.   

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 1, No. 1/3 UMass Boston 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (3-8) | No. 1/3 UMass Boston (10-2) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk opened the scoring first in the opening frame. Rich Gilbride reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to third on Seth Coiley's base hit through the right side. The Rams' shortstop plated the first run on the day on Blasé Cormier's single to give the blue-and-gold an early 1-0 lead. 

Kevin Sinatra took down the Beacons in order to maintain the one-run lead for Suffolk. The Rams could not capitalize on a pair of base runners in the top of the second and UMass leveled the playing field in the home half of the inning. Chris Fowler led off with a walk and moved the tying run into scoring position on a passed ball. Nick Herzog pushed Fowler to third on a single to left before Charlie Huegi's sac bunt brought in Fowler and pushed Herzog to second. With the go-ahead run on second, Sinatra silenced Sal Frosceno on a full-count fastball to keep the score at 1-all through two complete frames. 

Suffolk looks to regain an edge in the top of the third. With two outs, the Rams coupled back-to-back base hits to stay alive in the inning, but could not make up any ground as Rich Giandrea hit into 5U fielder's choice to end the stanza. 

Four half innings later the Beacons threaten. Huegi led off with a base hit, stole second and a two-out single by Eddie Riley put runners in the corners. Sinatra held the runners on with a 13 ground out, his second of the inning, to keep things locked at 1-all after five. 

UMass made its move in the bottom of the sixth as the hosts loaded the bags on a walk, hit by pitch and another walk. With two outs, Anthony Del Prete went into his bull pen and relieved Sinatra with the fresh arm of RHP Ryan Pordes. On a 2-2 count, Frosceno knocked a single to right field to bring in the go-ahead run and an insurance tally to flip the switch in the Beacons favor 3-1. The Rams held the damage there on a successful pickoff to third to remain within two-runs. 

Both sides left one runner on in the seventh and the Rams could not bring its lone runner in the top of the eighth as the Beacons brought in Bobby Tramondozzi with one out remaining in the inning. UMass' closer sat down Giandrea swinging to maintain the two-run lead for the hosts. 

Pordes retired the side to set up Suffolk's comeback, but Tramondozzi handled business on the bump to secure the 3-1 victory for the Beacons. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Sinatra suffered the setback, slipping to 0-2 on the year. The starter allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits, four walks and sat down two hits in 5.2 innings of action.
• In 2.1 frames of relief work, Pordes gave up just one hit and one walk and struck out one hitter.
• Fernando Burgos improved to 3-0 on the season behind a one-run, six-hit, three-walk, five-strikeout outing in 6.0 innings.
• Ben Gottsman worked the hill for 1.2 innings of relief. In the process, he punched out three batters and walked a pair of hitters.
• Tramondozzi picked up the save, his second of the season, with a two-strikeout effort in 1.1 frames. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Cormier was the lone Ram with multiple hits as the freshman first baseman went 2-for-4 and produced Suffolk's only RBI on the afternoon.
• Brady Chant (1-4), Coiley (1-4), Will Hopkins (1-3) and Andrew Ashworth (1-4) all had one hit apiece.
• Gilbride, who drew a pair of walks, scored Suffolk's only run.   

NOTEWORTHY

• Cormier matched career-highs with two hits and one RBI. 

POST-GAME PIC
 

COMING UP
Suffolk concludes the two-game series with the Beacons this afternoon at 3 p.m.