Baseball Starts CNE Play with 6-4 Win at Roger Williams

BRISTOL, R.I. – Late scoring and the Rams bull pen came up clutch for Suffolk baseball in its 2025 Conference of New England (CNE) opener as the Rams managed to outlast Roger Williams, 6-4, in game one of a league twinbill Saturday at Paolino Field. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 6 | Roger Williams 4
RECORDS: Suffolk (6-9, 1-0 CNE) | Roger Williams (5-8, 0-1 CNE) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Colin Flynn and Cole Hilliard both wore a pitch to get the game underway and Chris Cimino and Alex Sorenti-Burns followed suit with back-to-back one-run base hits to give Suffolk a 2-0 edge in the first frame.  

An inning later, Roger Williams sliced the deficit in half behind a Will Florio lead-off solo shot to left.  

The Hawks managed to even things at 2-all in their next turn at the dish in the bottom of the third. With two outs, a Rams' error put runners in the corners before Rory Lynch walked to juice the bags. Another fielding mishap by the blue-and-gold when Florio put the ball into play let the tying run come in.  

The one-run offensive output continued into the fourth for RWU as Ty Cali tripled to right field to score Nick Sheehan, who singled through the left side, to put Suffolk in a 3-2 hole. 

Two innings later in the top of the sixth a sac fly by Sam Armbruster knotted things at 3-3. Max Iorio opened the inning with a double to center and advanced to third on a productive ground out by Max Martin to help set up Armbruster's RBI.  

See-saw action carried into the bottom of the seventh as the Hawks regained the upperhand once again. Cali singled through the left side, moved over on a 5-3 ground out by Owen Hibbard and coasted around the bags on Sam Weigel's single up the middle.  

It was Suffolk's turn to respond in the top of the eighth and answer it did. Cimino and Sorenti-Burns worked walks to get the inning going, which forced Roger Williams to make a change on the mound. Iorio advanced the runners over with a ground out to second and Max Martin's ground out to the same base plated the tying-run. Armbruster kept the rally going as he barreled a single to left field that scored Sorenti-Burns to send the Rams in front, 5-4, for the first time since the first frame.  

With the lead, Nick Arnett took over the hill for Pierce Salbego. The Hawks threatened with a pair a of base runners behind a base hit and hit by pitch but were kept there as the Rams defense backed up Arnett. 

Insurance came for the Suffolk in the top of the ninth thanks to a bases loaded wild pitch that extended the edge to 6-4. ? 

Jack Raimo came in to deal for Arnett and did not give the Hawks any hope as he retired the side to secure the victory.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Salbego earned the decision behind a four-run, three-earned, seven-hit, three-walk, three-strikeout performance over 7.0 innings. 
• Raimo recorded the save with 1.0 inning of hitless, scoreless relief with one K. 
• Arnett let up one hit in 1.0 inning out of the pen with one strikeout to his credit. 
• Nick Gleason took the loss. He yielded two runs on two walks in 1.0 inning of relief. 
• Lucas Lariviere started and gave up three runs, all earned, on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts over 6.0 innings. 
• Ryan Camp closed for RWU and put together a one-run, three-hit, one-punchout performance over 2.0 innings.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Cimino and Sorenti-Burns had near identical stat lines with 2-for-4 efforts, one RBI, one run and one walk apiece. 
• Flynn and Iorio's batting stat lines matched as well with one hit, a double, and one run apiece. 
• Armbruster registered two RBI, one hit and one sac fly. 
• Hilliard scored twice and walked once. 
• Max Martin brought in one run.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk started its CNE calendar in the win column for the third straight season. 
• Suffolk is now 3-2 in CNE debuts all-time. 
• Suffolk began its CNE calendar on the road for the fourth time, third straight season. 
• Suffolks is now 8-2 in its first league outing in the Anthony Del Prete era. 
• Overall, Suffolk is 21-4 in its first conference contest of the year (18-2 GNAC / 3-2 CNE). 
• Suffolk faced Roger Williams in its first CNE game of the year for the first time. 
• Suffolk snapped an eight-game skid against RWU. 
• The Rams defeated the Hawks for the first time since March 13, 2015, a 3-2, 12-inning decision. 
• Suffolk is now 7-14 all-time against Roger Williams. 
• At RWU, the blue-and-gold is now 3-5. 
• The road win over the Hawks is a first for Suffolk since May 11, 2014, an 8-1 triumph.
• Suffolk is 2-9 against RWU with Del Prete on the bench. 
• The Rams defeated RWU on the road for the first time under Del Prete's guidance.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk and Roger Williams close out the conference twinbill this afternoon.