Softball Comes Up Short Against Simpson, 12-8

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Down seven in the sixth, the Ram rallied to level the playing field, but could not stop Simpson in the seventh and Suffolk softball slipped 12-8 to the Storm Saturday at Fortune Road at The Spring Games.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 8 | Simpson 12
RECORDS: Suffolk (0-3) | Simpson (2-1)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk started the scoring in the third. Maddie Southers started the inning with a double to left field and Jolie Quintana moved her to third on a base hit to left. The Rams looked to catch the Storm off guard on the double steal. The catcher threw down when Quintana took, off, but overthrew the bag, which allowed Southers to strut in easily.  

The lead was short lived as Simpson batted around the order to put up eight runs on four hits and two blue-and-gold hiccups.  

Down 8-1, Suffolk mounted a comeback in the sixth after the Storm brought in Alyssa Breckner to the circle. Delaney Doidge led off with a single and Maddie Baita and Lily Gustafson both worked walks to put all the ducks in the pond for pinch hitter Lily O'Neil. The senior wore a pitch to plate the first run of the rally in. 

Maddie Southers collected an RBI on an infield single and Quintana brought in her second run of the day with a 63 ground out. After Catherine Carignan walked the Storm brought starter Kylee Tucker back in to twirl, but a hiccup by Simpson's second baseman name allowed two runs to come in before Ella Turnbull raked a single to left to trim the gap to one. 

The Storm changed its entire defensive lineup with the starters returning to their original positions. Suffolk's scoring did not stop there, however, as Ava Brandow joined the RBI fun with a single up the middle to level the playing field at 8-all.

With a new ball game, the Storm regained the advantage on a Megan Heidelbauer two-run jack to left field and two-run double by Ashlyn Steen doubled the distance to four. 

The Rams could not get their bats up-and-running again in the home half of the inning as Tucker took care of business from the rubber to hand Suffolk a 12-8 setback. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Turnbull took the loss after giving up four runs on five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in 3.2 innings of relief. 
• Brandow started in the circle for Suffolk and allowed three runs on four hits and one walk with one K to her credit. 
• Ashlyn Conley (5 R, 3 ER, 2 H, 1 BB) came out of the pen for the blue-and-gold as well. 
• Tucker earned the victory for the Storm. She threw the first 3.0 innings before closing out the contest over the final 1.2 frames. Her line featured two unearned runs, seven hits and four strikeouts. 
• Emma LaFave was an effective reliever with 2.0 scoreless innings with just one hit and one walk allowed and three punchouts. 
• Brecker (6 R, 5 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 0.1 IP) saw time in the circle as well for the Storm.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Southers supplied a 2-for-4 effort with one double, two runs and one RBI. 
• Brandow went 2-for-3 and brought in one run. 
• Quintana had two hits, one RBI and one walk. 
• Carignan chipped in one hit, a double, one run and one walk. 
• Doidge added one hit and one run scored. 
• Baita and Gustafson each walked and scored one run.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Simpson tangled for the first time. 
• Baita made her collegiate debut. 
• Ashley Hubner has scored in all three of Suffolk's games this season as a pinch runner. 
• Carignan and Turnbull have each had one hit in each of the Rams games this year. 
• Southers hit a double for the fifth time in her collegiate career. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Rams wrap up day two at The Spring Games this afternoon against Mitchell.