Softball Tripped Up in Game 1 at JWU in Six, 11-3

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Once the Wildcats bats got going the Rams could not stop them as Suffolk softball's early lead did not hold up to Johnson & Wales who scored 11 unanswered runs to defeat the blue-and-gold, 11-3, in six innings Friday afternoon at the Scots Miracle Gro Athletic Complex.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Johnson & Wales 11
RECORDS: Suffolk (14-9) | Johnson & Wales (21-4)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk sat in front after the first frame thanks to Savannah Scripter's two-run jack. Back in the line-up after a few weeks, Scripter barreled a ball over the fence and brought in Caitlin Murphy, who led off the game with a single to right, with her to give the visitors a 2-0 edge.  

An inning later, the Rams added another tally. Lily Gustafson got the frame going with a double to right and advanced to third on a passed away. With a runner in prime position and no outs, Ira Boci brought Gustafson in on a long out to right to push the margin to three.  

Johnson & Wales made up that ground and then some in the home half of the inning. A one-run base hit by M Gurska was followed by a three-run dinger off A Flacigno's bat that put the blue-and-gold in a 4-3 hole.  

After 2.5 scoreless innings, the Wildcats used more extra base hits in the bottom of the fifth to stretch their advantage to four. 

A new JWU pitcher in Mackenzie Clee, who took over for Livia Feole, in the sixth kept Suffolk quiet to keep things at 7-3 in the host favor.  

The Wildcats put the game away after back-to-back Rams errors, that allowed two runners to reach, were followed by extra base hits including a two-bagger and a three-run jack for the final 11-3 margin.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Ava Brandow slipped to 1-1 on the year after giving up four runs on four hits with one strikeout in 1.1 inning. 
• Kennedy Reyes (0.2 IP) and Julia Newcomb (1.0 IP, 2 BB, 1 K) were effective relievers for the Rams. 
• Ella Turnbull (1.0 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K) and Ashlyn Conley (1.0 IP, 5 R, 4 H) saw time out of the pen for Sufolk. 
• Feole secured the win for JWU behind a three-run, six-hit, no-walk, four-strikeout, 5.0-inning effort. 
• Clee shoved 1.0 inning of scoreless, hitless relief with two pucnhouts.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Murphy went 2-for-3at the dish with one run scored. 
• Scripter supplied two RBI on her hit, a homer, to go along with one run scored. 
• Boci brought in one run on a sac fly. 
• Gustafson notched one hit, a double, and scored once. 
• Brandow and Ally Cifaratta each had one hit. The latter's was a double.

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and JWU met for the first time since April 28, 2019. 
• An outing between the Rams and Wildcats have been decided via run-rule for the first time since May 7, 2017 when JWU defeated Suffolk, 15-5, in six. 
• Scripter slugged her second home run of the season, sixth of her career.
• Murphy pushed her hit streak to three games. In that stretch she has four hits, all singles.  

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk and JWU conclude the non-conference double feature tonight at 6:30 p.m.