Softball’s Comeback Falls Short in Lesley Nightcap, 15-13

EAST BOSTON – Trailing by eight as the game headed to the bottom of the seventh, Suffolk softball put its rally caps on, scored six, and had the tying run at the plate. The Rams game-two rally was put to rest by the Lynx middle infield that preserved Lesley's 15-13 triumph at East Boston Memorial Park.   

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 13 | Lesley 15
RECORDS: Suffolk (13-5) | Lesley (7-5) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Lesley put the Rams in a 6-0 hole in the first fame that Suffolk had to climb its way out of. A comeback campaign started in the second when the host picked apart left field slice the gap in half. Lily Gustafson led off with a double to left field and two outs later Bianca Luciano traded places with her with her own two-bagger to left. Jolie Quintana produced an extra-base hit of her own, also to left, however her knock went over the fence to bring the blue-and-gold within three, 6-3.  

The Lynx scored three more in the top of the fourth to restore the six-run lead. A Rams response came in the home half of the inning when Alexa White barreled a two-run bomb to right center. The junior scored Jolie Quintana, who struck a base hit to right, to make the distance more manageable, 9-5.

White's work was quickly erased as Jordan Day's bases clearing, stand-up two-bagger extended the edge for the Lynx once again, this time to 12-5. 

Lesley turned on the run-rule on a bases loaded walk in the top of the sixth. Ava Brandow wanted to keep things going as she tattooed a ball to right center in the bottom of the inning. The freshman's two-run jack trimmed the deficit down to 13-7 after six full frames.  

Every time Suffolk inched closer Lesley pushed its advantage back. The same can be said for the seventh when the visitor's capitalized on a Rams' two-out error. The dropped ball in right field allowed two Lynx to score.  

After the fielding mishap, the blue-and-gold found itself down eight, 15-7. That margin did not scare Ira Boci who led off with a single through the left side. After Gustafson grounded out to third to move Boci into scoring position, pinch hitter Rebecca Zellin rocked a double to left field to bring in Boci. Delaney Doidge worked a walk to put Rams on first and second, however, the rookie was caught off the bag during Rachel Doan's at bat and put the second out on the board.  

Doan, who pinch hit for Luciano, kept the inning going as she drew a full-count base on balls. Quintana put the ball into play through the left side of the infield and the Lynx went for the force out at third, but Zellin's slide was under the tag and that put all the ducks in the pond. Alexa White's bat joined the excitement with a two-run double down the left field line.  

Suffolk was now within five. Brandow, who went yard earlier in the evening, sent a long ball to right field. Lesley's Samantha Mecklenburg had the game in her glove, but dropped the ball and two more Rams scored. Ally Cifaratta then pushed a single to left center to score Brandow.  

The Rams cycled through the order as Boci headed to the plate for the second time in the inning. The player who ignited the rally had a chance to level the playing field as she represented the tying run. The catcher knocked a ball to the left side where Lynx shorts stop Mahlia Medina made a dive to stop the ball and pushed it with the edge of her glove to second baseman Jess O'Neill. O'Neill stepped on second momentums before Cifaratta slid in to stop Suffolk's hope of a walk-off win. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Suffolk cycled through four different pitchers. 
• Starter Ella Turnbull suffered the setback after giving up five runs on five hits. 
• White was the most effective with a one-run, two-hit, two-strikeout, 1.0-inning of work. 
• Brandow (4.0 IP, 6 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) and Julia Newcomb (2.0 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) each took the rubber in relief. 
• Day grabbed the decision for Lesley. She put together a 13-run, (10 earned), 16-hit, three-walk, six-punchout complete-game performance.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• White went 3-for-5 at the dish with one homer and two homers for four RBI and two runs scored. 
• Gustafson put together a 3-for-4 plate performance with one double to go along with one run scored.
• Quintana logged two hits, including a jack, four runs and two RBI.
• Brandow registered two hits, including a four-bagger, four RBI and two runs scored. 
• Luciano added two hits, including a double, and scored one run. 
• Zellin chipped in one hit, a double, brought in one run and scored one herself.  

NOTEWORTHY

• The 13 runs scored are the most by the Rams since putting 14 runs on the board in a 14-6 win at Emmanuel April 18, 2019.
• Suffolk hit multiple homers in a single game for the first time this season. 
• The multi-home run outing is the first since the Rams hit two in a 7-3 win over Wentworth April 11, 2021. 
• The three bombs in a game is the most for the blue-and-gold since producing three in a 6-0 shutout of Emmanuel April 14, 2018.
• Brandow knocked her second dinger of the year. 
• Brandow matched a personal-best two runs scored. 
• White registered her first collegiate home run and double. 
• White notched a career-best in hits (3), doubles (2), RBI (4) and runs scored (2).
• Quintana notched her first collegiate dinger. 
• Quintana notched a caeer-high four runs scored. 
• Zellin recorded her first collegiate hit, a double. 
• Newcomb matched a career-high two Ks. 
• Luciano tied a career-high in hits (2) and runs scored (2). 
• Luciano chipped in a double in back-to-back games. 
• Gustafson registered a career-high three hits and produced her first collegiate double. 

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk returns to its conference calendar this weekend when it takes on Western New England Saturday, April 9. The Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader has a 12 p.m. game one start.