Sylvester Leads Softball to Sweep Over Simmons
Sophomore catcher Delaney Sylvester was 5-for-7 with five runs batted in and Suffolk’s pitchers – Ali Yamakaitis and Taylor Holmes – allowed just one run in a doubleheader sweep over host Simons in GNAC action at East Boston Memorial Park Wednesday afternoon.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
The Rams' staff allowed just one run on six hits and no walks for the day. Sylvester also added a double and a run scored for Suffolk, while sophomore left fielder Morgan Parmeter was 3-for-6 on the day with a walk, a RBI, a run scored and a stolen base.
Suffolk extends its win streak to four straight to improve to 20-6 overall and 11-3 in league play, while the Sharks fall to 11-14 on the year and 5-9 against conference competition.
With zeros on both sides of the scoreboard after the first, the Rams got things going in the second. With two-outs, Evelyn Marquis found a gap up the middle and brought in Jill Pulek, who reached on walk to lead off the inning, to break open the scoring.
Simmons battled, however, keeping Suffolk from scoring in the next two innings and made things interesting in the bottom of the fourth. With Sharks' runners on second and third and two outs, Yamakaitis fanned her fourth batter of the day to keep the Rams in front, 1-0.
The score stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh. Brianna Rastello led off with a double to right center and advanced to third on Dominique Ortiz's ground out to the Rams' shortstop Marquis. Juliet Nelson connected and the ball rolled down the first base line. Lindsay Pagano made the throw to Sylvester at home, but Rastello slide underneath Sylvester's glove to even the playing field. The Rams held the Sharks and score there as the game would be determined in extra innings.
Devlin Frost was placed on second in the extra stanza. After Pulek went down swinging, Sylvester found the same gap between second and third she found in the second inning and played a crucial role in the Rams' first run of the day. This time the sophomore catcher's single up the middle was responsible for bringing the run in and gave Suffolk a 2-1 edge.
Yamakaitis tossed her sixth complete game of the season as the sophomore earned her eighth win inside the circle. The rightie allowed one run on three hits and struck out four, all swinging.
Marquis and Sylvester paved the path at the plate with the sophomore and freshman contributing two hits apiece and one RBI each. Pulek and Frost were credited with Suffolk's runs.
Cat Record suffered the set back as the hurler came in at the top of the third and went the rest of the way. Record's ledger moves to 1-4 after allowing one run on five hits despite fanning three Rams. Tori Gomes earned the start and pitched 2.0 innings, allowing one run on two hits and walked four.
Rastello has two of Simmon's three hits as the second baseman also earned the Sharks lone run of the afternoon. Juliet Nelson tallied the RBI for the hosts.
In Game 2, Holmes (8-1) hurled a three-hit shutout in and fanned seven batters in five compete innings to earn the win, her eighth of the season.
Suffolk's offense came alive in Game 2 with 10 runs on 13 hits. The Rams scored three times in the top of the first thanks to a three-run double by Sylveser. Senior center fielder Meredith Ball led off the frame with a single, Frost reached on an error and Pulek was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out to set up Sylvester's big blow.
The Rams tacked on two more runs in the third to take a 5-0 lead. Sylvester and Parmeter each singled with two outs, before Pagano was able to plate Sylvester with a infield single to the shortstop. Sophomore second baseman Madison Eucalitto hit a single through the left side to bring home the fifth run for Suffolk.
Suffolk increased its edge to 7-0 with two more runs in the fourth. Frost kept the inning alive with a two-out walk and Pulek followed with a single before Sylvester's single down the right field line drove in Frost. Parmeter followed with a single to center to bring around Pulek with the seventh run.
Suffolk put the game away with three more two-out runs in the fifth. First-year third baseman McKenzie McGrath and first-year shortstop Jaclyn Flint each singled and trotted home ahead of Frost's fourth home run of the season over the center field fence to stretch the Rams' advantage to 10-0.
Rastello and Ortiz each singled to open the bottom of the fifth for the Sharks, but they were unable to push a run across the plate and were shutout for the first time this season.
Suffolk is back out on the diamond in East Boston tomorrow afternoon as the Rams welcome the Vikings of Salem State for a doubleheader. Game 1 is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.