Baseball Downs Keene State, 14-5, to End Spring Trip

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.  – Suffolk baseball ended its Spring Training trip with a 14-5 victory over Keene State thanks to lock down pitching from Caleb Piwnicki and a well-balanced, 14-hit offense Thursday morning at Griffith Field. 

The win marks the RAMS second straight to ship the blue-and-gold back to Boston with a 4-3 ledger after playing seven games over eight days at the Ripken Experience.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 14 | Keene State 5
RECORDS: Suffolk (4-3) | Keene State (4-5) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk put up six runs in the second to take a lead it never let go of. Joe Ward led off the inning with a single down the right field line before three walks in a row started bringing the Rams runs in. Corey Frassica's followed with a two-run double down the right field line, which forced the Owls to make a change on the hill. Max Iorio collected an RBI off the fresh wing with a sac fly to right. After a Keene State error, which allowed Jonny Gilbride to reach first, Garret Roberts notched a sac fly of his own before Gilbride used a deep double down the left field line by Harry Painter to make it a 6-0 game. 

The Owls got one run back in the home half of the inning as Tommy Ahlers double to left field to plate Brice Waldron, who singled to right, to chip the blue-and-gold's cushion to five, 6-1. 

The Rams regained its six-run margin in the top of the fifth. Brandon Bukowski led off the inning with a lead-off, infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before using Timothy McCarthy's single to center to come in. 

Two innings later, Suffolk's scoring continued. Once again Bukowski got things started with a base hit to left and swiped second to get into scoring position. The Rams' outfielder used a deep out by Marc Birbiglia to reach third and set up Michael James Jr. for a sac fly to center that pushed the gap to 8-1. 

A number of Keene State defensive changes, including a pitching switch, in the top of the eighth did not stop Suffolk from scoring. A wild pitch allowed the first Rams runner, Corey Frassica, to score, before Roberts recorded his second sac fly of the day. The designated hitter brought in Iorio after the outfielder doubled to right field to reach.  

Similar to Suffolk, the Owls capitalized on a new pitcher and put tup four ups in the bottom of the eighth to chip the gap down to five, 10-5.  

The Rams responded with four runs of their own in the top of the ninth to restore nine-run cushion. Roberts picked up two more RBI on a double to center. Iorio scooped up one RBI on a single to center, while a balk was responsible for the other. 

Gilbride took the bump for the first time in his Suffolk career to close. The blue-and-gold backed up the positional pitcher as freshman Sam Armbruster combined with Birbiglia for a 63 double play that locked up the final two outs of the day. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Piwnicki put together a one-run, five-hit, four-walk, 10-strikeout, 7.0-inning win. 
• Jake Washock (0.2 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 1 K) and Billy Beneke (0.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K) came out of the pen for Suffolk.
• Gilbride logged 1.0 inning of relief in the ninth with just one hit allowed. 
• Keene State's starter Shea Zina took the loss after letting up five runs, four earned, on two hits and three walks with one punchout in 1.0 inning. 
• Five different hurles came in in relief for the Owls including Sean Brennan (2.2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 3 K), Kyle Palardy (1.1 IP, 1 R, 2 H 3 K), Brandon St. Gelais (2.0 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 K), Joe Schlehuber (1.0 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 2 K) and Zach Corrado (1.0 IP, 4 R, 4 H).  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Roberts registered a big day at the dish with a 2-for-4 effort, both hits good for two bags, a pair of sac flies for four RBI. 
• Buowski went 2-for-4 with three runs scored. 
• Frassica added three runs, two RBI and one hit, a double. 
• Iorio added a 2-for-4 performance with one double, two RBI and two runs scored. 
• Gilbride scored a pair of runs.
• Painter pitched in two hits, both doubles, and one RBI.
• Birbiglia scored twice and had one hit.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk met Keene State for the second straight season. 
• The Rams moved to 4-2 edge in the all-time series with the Owls. 
• Suffolk has defeated the Owls in four straight meetings.
• The Rams are unbeaten, 2-0, against Keene State in the Anthony Del Prete era. 
• Piwnicki notched a personal-best in strikeouts (10), batters faced (29) and innings pitched (7.0). 
• Piwnicki is the second straight Suffolk starter to fan double-digit batters this season behind Roberts who punched out 10 versus Worcester State March 10, 2023.
• Gilbride made his Suffolk pitching debut. 
• Roberts tied a personal-best four RBI. 
• Bukowski had all career-highs in hits (2) and runs scored (3) and stole a base for the first time in his collegiate career. 
• Iorio has had multiple hits in back-to-back games. 
• Iorio matched a personal-best two hits with a career-high two RBI (2) and runs scored (2), as well as the first double and sac fly of his collegiate career.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk is set to make its New England debut Sunday, March 19 when it visits WPI for a 12:00 p.m. first pitch.