Sixth Inning Propels Worcester State Past Baseball, 11-3

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – In a game that started on Friday and ended on Saturday, Suffolk baseball took a two-run lead into were looking to claim their first victory of the season then the sixth inning rolled around. The Rams gave up seven runs on just three hits to watch what was once a lead transform into a 11-3 loss to Worcester State at Ebbets Field at the Ripken Experience.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Worcester State 11
RECORDS: Suffolk (0-2) | Worcester State. (1-0) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Both sides' starters controlled the pace of play early on five strikeouts on either side of the scorebook through 2.5.

With one out, Jonny Gilbride wore a pitch to reach and got not only into scoring position but took third scoring position on a failed pickoff attempt, overthrow error by the Lancers pitcher Ben Smith. Harry Painter plated Suffolk's shortstop with a single through the right side to put the Rams on the board.

The twosome of Gilbride and Painter would team up for a run again two innings later. In a case of déjà vu, Gilbride went to the plate with one out, however, instead of being given the base, he earned it, with a deep double to left field. Painter's base hit to center scored Gilbride to extend the edge to 2-0. Luke Harder had a hand in the run as he moved Gilbride to third behind 63 ground out.

That run ended Smith's, the 2022 NCAA Division III ERA Statistical Champion in ERA (0.90) day on the bump as Danny DiMassimo came in for relief and got the final out of the frame to limit Suffolk's offensive output.

In the top of the sixth the Rams started to unravel. Z Landry had two ducks waiting and he used a single to right field to clear the bases and level the playing field at 2-all. After Garret Roberts walked the next WSU batter, Anthony Del Prete went to his bull pen.

The Rams relievers got the blue-and-gold in a bigger hole as the Lancers would bat around the order to make things lopsided, 7-2.

Worcester State's offensive output continued over the next two innings to push the Lancers to a comfortable 11-2 cushion with 8.5 innings in the books. 

Pinch hitters stepped up for Suffolk in the home half of the inning to add one more run, for the 11-3 finale. Sam Armbruster led off with a base hit to third and scored on Jackson Oliver's single to left field two batters later.  

Any hope of getting closer was shut down on the same play that brought in Armbruster though. Oliver attempted to take second on his base knock, but Worcester State's defensive took care of things to force the 11-3 finale. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Roberts' numbers don't do the pitch any justice. He may have given up four runs on five hits and three walks over 5.1 innings, but he also fanned 10 batters to keep the Rams in the thick of things.
• Billy Beneke was the most successfully reliever for Suffolk with 1.0 inning of scoreless, hitless work with three Ks.
• Pierce Salbego (0.0 IP, 3R, 1H), Shreyas Parikh (1.2 IP, 1 R (unearned) 2 BBB, and Max Iorio (1.0 IP, 3 R, 2H, 3 BB, 1 K) all came out of the pen for Suffolk.
• DiMassimo secured the win for Worcester State behind 1.1 innings of work with one strike.
• Smith put together a two-run, seven-hit, no-walk, 10-strikeout effort over 4.2 innings.
• Nick Bousquet (2.0 IP, 2H, 0R, 3K) and Jared Kapurch (1.0 IP, 2H, 1R, 1K) came in in relief for the Lancers. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Gilbride went 2-for-3 at the dish with both knocks good for two bags and scored two of Suffolk's runs.  
• Painter brought a pair of Rams runs in on a 2-for-4 effort.
• Armbruster went 1-for-1 with one run.
• Olivier chipped in one RBI on one hit.
• Michael James Jr. blasted one double.
• Michael Cole, Joe Ward, and Roberts added one hit apiece.

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Worcester State met for the first time since 2017 and 11th time overall.
• Roberts registered a personal-best in strikeouts (10) and innings pitched (5.1).
• Roberts is the first Suffolk pitcher to sit down 10 batters since Michael Muscarella'22 fanned 10 in a 15-2 victory over Lasell March 21, 2021.
• Gilbride has put together multi-hit efforts in both games on Suffolk's schedule this season.
• Gilbride matched a career high in doubles with two.  
• James Jr. tallied the third double of his collegiate career, first since hitting one versus Wentworth, May 7, 2022.
• Armbruster made his collegiate debut and produced his first collegiate hit.
• In his Suffolk debut, Cole tallied his first hit as a Ram. 

POST-GAME
 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk's Saturday, March 11 schedule features a showdown with familiar foe Rivier at 12:30 p.m. at Griffith Field.