Baseball Comes Up Short in Game Two with SJC, 3-2

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Down one in the top of the seventh, Suffolk baseball had two runners in scoring position, but a call at the plate resulted in Saint Joseph's (Maine)'s favor and ended the game in the setback column for the Rams, 3-2, Saturday night at Chain of Lakes Field at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2 | Saint Joseph's (Maine) 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (0-3) | Saint Joseph's (Maine) (4-0)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Suffolk jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first. Luke Thornton reached on a throwing error by the Monks third baseman Thoe Masella to lead off the game and Cole Hilliard pushed him over on a base hit to right. Sam Armbruster's single through the right side plated Thornton before Hilliard came in two batters later courtesy of Sebastian Lampert's productive ground out to first. 
• A two-out solo shot by Nick Viallno in the home half of the second sliced Suffolk's advantage in half, 2-1.
• The score hit a standstill from there until the bottom of the fifth when Ben Cassavoy came in to take over for Suffolk's starter Nick Arnett. The freshman right-hander hit the first three batters he faced to put all the ducks in the pond for the Monks. Nic Frink put on the hero cape for SJC as he knocked a hopper to third that jumped over Will Robbins ahead and allowed two runs to come in to put the Rams in a 3-2 hole.
• The blue-and-gold had a chance as Mike Mullaney came in to pinch hit in the bottom of the seventh. He rocked a double to left center to bring up Will Robbins, who walked, which brought the winning run to the plate. During Vasili Scangas' at bat, a passed ball moved the runners to second and third. The freshman faced a 2-2 count as the pitch was delivered. The ball bounced off the elbow guard, but the home plate umpire said the batter leaned into the pitch for the final strike and out of the night. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Arnett started and allowed one run on three hits and three walks with two Ks over 4.0 innings. 
• Cassavoy took the loss as he gave up two runs on two hits with three strikeouts in 2.0 innings of relief. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Armbruster had one hit and one RBI. 
• Hilliard logged one hit and one run. 
• Mullaney registered one hit, a double. 
• Thornton tallied one run. 
• Lampert brought in one run. 
• Jack Mihalchik and Robbins walked once apiece. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Cassavoy made his collegiate debut on the bump. 
• Mullaney hit the first extra base hit of the 2026 season in a double. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk has an off day tomorrow, Sunday, March 8 and will pick things back up on Monday, March 9 at 2:00 p.m. versus Ohio Northern.