Baseball Advances in CCC Winners Bracket, Downs Wentworth, 12-3

EAST BOSTON – Nine unanswered Rams runs over the final three innings pushed the third seeded Suffolk baseball team past sixth seed Wentworth on the opening day of the 2024 CCC Tournament Tuesday afternoon at East Boston Memorial Park.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 12 | Wentworth 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (25-15) | Wentworth (21-18) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first frame. Garret Roberts led off the game with a double down the left field line and Jonny Gilbride traded places with him with a two-bagger of his own to center. Three batters later, a sac fly from Sam Armbruster plated Gilbride to give the host a 2-0 cushion.  

An inning later, the Leopards rallied around two Rams fielding bobbles and one hit to make it a one-run game. 

A two-out solo shot in the bottom of the fifth of Alex Sorenti-Burns bat extend the Rams edge back two, 3-1. 

The Leopards leveled the playing field when Michael Petit barreled a two-run bomb to left center to make it 3-all.

Sorenti-Burns' bat came up big for the blue-and-gold in the home half of the sixth. With the bases chucked, the grad student laced a two-out, bases clearing triple down the right field line to restore the advantage for hosts, 6-3. 

An inning later, Suffolk stretched its lead even further. Roberts wore a pitch with the bases loaded to collect an RBI before Gilbride emptied the bags with a grand slam. Sam Armbruster produced a one-run single in the scoring frenzy as well that turned it into a 12-3 Suffolk score.  

Jack Raimo came in and shoved 2.0 scoreless innings to lock up the CCC Tournament win. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Pierce Salbego locked up the win behind a three-run, two-earned, five-hit, two-strikeout effort in 7.0 innings. 
• Raimo registered 2.0 innings of scoreless, hitless relief with a pair of punchouts. 
• Jon Campbell took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits and one walk in 1.0 inning of relief. 
• Starter Brodi Farinas let up three runs on six hits and one walk with four Ks in 5.0 innings of work. 
• Michael Archambault (0.1 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) and Matt Ferrara (1.2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 K) both came out of the pen for the Leopards.  

STATISTCALLY SPEAKING

•  Sorenti-Burns went 3-for-3 and was a double shy of the cycle. The third baseman had one triple, one homer and one base hit to bring in four runs and score one himself. 
• Gilbride contributed five RBI on a 3-for-6 effort that featured one homer, a grand slam, and one double. He scored twice. 
• Armbruster brought in two runs on one hit and one sac fly. 
• Flynn chipped in two hits, two runs and one stole base. 
• Roberts supplied three runs, one hit, a double, one RBI and one walk. 
• Painter provided one hit, a double, and one run. 
• Max Martin, Jack Mihalchik and Joe Norris scored one run apiece.  

NOTEWORTHY

• The Rams are in the midst of its fourth trip and fourth in as many seasons in the CCC Tournament. 
• Suffolk is now 3-6 in the CCC postseason. 
• The Rams hosted their third CCC Tournament contest. 
• Suffolk is unbeaten, 3-0, at home in CCC Tournament clashes. 
• Suffolk and Wentworth met in the CCC playoffs for the first time. 
• Suffolk captured its first win in the double elimination bracket of the CCC Tournament in program history. 
• The Rams are now 1-4 when playing in the CCC Tournament double elimination games. 
• The 12 runs scored are the second-most for Suffolk in the CCC Tournament, behind its 13-run offensive output in an 11-ining, 13-12 win over Gordon in the 2023 CCC Play-In Game May 8, 2023. 
• The nine-run margin of victory is the largest for Suffolk in a CCC Tournament contest. 
• Suffolk moved to 20-14 against Wentworth all-time. 
• The Rams have won four games in a row against the Leopards. 
• The blue-and-gold is 6-1 versus Wentworth under Anthony Del Prete's leadership. 
• As the home team, Suffolk is 12-2 against WIT. 
• Suffolk and Wentworth tangled in the CCC Tournament for the first time. 
• In postseason games, the Rams are unbeaten, 2-0, against the Leopards. 
• Suffolk faced WIT in a postseason game for the second time, first since the 2011 ECAC Tournament, which the Rams won, 7-2. 
• Suffolk had multiple homers for the ninth time this season. 
• Gilbride slugged a grand slam. He is the third Ram to do this season, first since Roberts did in a 23-0, offensive onslaught at Saint Joseph's (Maine), April 21, 2024. 
• Gilbride had his 10th homer of the year. 
• Sorenti-Burns went yard for the eighth time this season.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk continues its quest for the CCC Crown Thursday, May 9 when it heads to second seed Roger Williams for a 10:00 a.m. match.