Baseball Falls at Gordon in Nightcap, 5-2

WENHAM, Mass. – Suffolk baseball could not bounce back from a game one setback and slipped in closer of a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) twinbill to Gordon, 5-2, Saturday afternoon at J. Tec White Field.   

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2 | Gordon 5
RECORDS: Suffolk (3-3, 0-2 CCC) | Gordon (2-2, 2-0 CCC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Gordon put the Rams in a one-run hole in the first frame, that the Rams came out of in the third when Marc Birbiglia sent a solo shot to the right field fence.  

The tied did not last long as the Fighting Scots responded in the bottom that same inning to restore their one-run edge. Hunter Routhier scored the go-ahead run on an unassisted ground out to first. Earlier in the inning, Routhier reached on a mishap by the Rams' shortstop Rich Gilbride. If Suffolk's senior would have successfully fielded the ball and not allow Routhier to reach, the home half of the third would have ended and the even score would have remained.   

That error would cost the blue-and-gold down the line, but a comeback was still possible. Once again Birbiglia was responsible for the game-tying RBI. In the top of the fifth, Michael James Jr., who pinch hit for Andrew Ashworth, worked his way around the bags on a single, stolen base and a sac bunt from Joe Rufo. Birbiglia put the ball into play. Routhier scooped it up and decided to go home, but James made it safely to level the playing field at 2-2. 

Gordon grabbed the edge again in the sixth behind E. Paquette's single through the left side the scored C. Hartman, who doubled.  

With ground to make up the Rams were retired in order in the seventh before the Fighting Scots extended their edge to 4-2.  

Suffolk's comeback chances looked to be in its favor in the top of the eighth when Gordon changed up hurlers with Mike Oley coming in to take over for Mark Gadaleta. The fresh arm sat down the first two hitters looking, but Blase Cormier kept the inning going with a single up the middle. A walk by Zack Aresty followed and a wild pitch pushed the runners to second and third. Those runners were kept there though as Oley punched out his third hitter of the day to keep the hosts ahead.  

An insurance run for Gordon came in the eighth and force Suffolk to make up more ground in the ninth. The game ended the same way the opener did. With one out and runner on first, Joe Rufo grounded into a double play to seal the setback fate.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Steven Rossi suffered the setback after giving up four runs, three earned, on five hits, two walks and six strikeouts. 
• Caleb Piwnicki came out of the pen for 1.0 frame in which he allowed one run on three hits with a pair of Ks. 
• Gadaleta picked up the win behind a two-run, six-hit, four-strikeout performance in 7.0 frames. 
• Oley secured the save with two hits and one walk allowed with a trio of punchouts.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Birbiglia recorded two RBI, one hit, a homer, one run and one stolen base. 
• Gilbride and Aresty contributed two hits each. 
• James chipped in one hit, one run scored and one stolen base. 
• Cormier and Timothy McCarthy each had one hit.  

NOTEWORTHY

• James Jr. matched a personal-best in hits (1), stolen bases (1) and runs scored (1).  
• Birbiglia hit the second homer of his collegiate career. 
• Christopher White made his collegiate debut.  

POST-GAME PIC
  

SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
Suffolk and and Gordon will meet again tomorrow, Sunday, March 28 in Eastie. Game one at East Boston Memorial Park is set for a 12 p.m. first pitch.