Softball Rallies in Sixth to Beat Juniata, 8-7

CLERMONT, Fla. – A two-out, four-run Rams rally in the sixth pushed Suffolk softball to an 8-7 victory over Juniata Tuesday at Legends Way at the Spring Games.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 8 | Juniata 7
RECORDS: Suffolk (4-3) | Juniata (4-6)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
A couple base hits, small ball and swift base running helped Juniata jump out to a 1-0 lead in the first. 

The teams traded two runs in the second. The Rams made up some ground on hits to the outfield. Lily Gustafsondrew a walk and stole second to get the frame going and came in behind Lily Newhall's one-out double to center field. Newhall came around the bags when Jolie Quintana singled to right center to keep the gap at one, 3=2, with two innings in the books. 

The Muskies kept up with scoring as many runs as the number of inning until the third when they one-upped the offensive output with four runs to put Suffolk in a 7-2 hole.  

The Rams chipped down the deficit with one run in the third and fourth, respectively, to pull within three, 7-4. In the third, Ava Brandow's double to left field plated pinch runner Ashley Hubner. Hubner took Ella Turnbull's spot on first after the junior barreled a single to right center. Suffolk jammed the bags in the fourth behind a Lily Newhall single and walks from Maddie Southers and Catherine Carignan. A fielder's choice when Julia Mills put the ball in play allowed Southers to score for the three-run margin.   

Suffolk mounted a comeback in the home half of the sixth.  Outs sandwiched Southers double down the left field line. Carignan singled to bring in Southers and scored herself on Turnbull's base hit center. A pinching change for Juniata did not shut down the blue-and-gold as pinch hitter Lily O'Neil placed a bunt in between the chalk lines and the Muskies catcher dropped the ball when Mills slid into home to tie the game. With runners in the corners, a double steal paid off for Suffolk as Turnbull stole the go-ahead run at the plate.  

Juniata threatened in the top of the seventh as Jesis Hunt's ingle through the left side put the game-tying run on and an error by Mills at short allowed the game-winning run reach safely. Gustafson gloved Kay Magill's line drive to the right side of the infield to preserve the comeback victory.  

PITCUTRES PICTURE

• Turnbull tallied the with behind 4.1 innings of scoreless relief with two hits and three walks allowed and a pair of punchouts. 
• Suffolk starter Newhall compiled a seven-run (six earned), eight-hit effort over 2.2 frames of work. 
• Isabella Countryman took the loss for Juniata after giving up six runs, four earned, on six hits and three walks over 4.0 frames out of the pen. 
• Rylea Lynch started for the Muskies and allowed two runs on three hits and two walks over 1.2 innings. 
• Gracie Ruch walked one batter in her 0.1 inning of relief.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Turnbull went 2-for-4 at the dish with one RBI and one run scored. 
• Newhall went 2-for-3 with one double, eon RBI and one run scored. 
• Brandow registered a one hit, a double, and one RBI. 
• Southers supplied one hit, a double, two runs and one walk. 
• Gustafson walked twice and scored one run. 
• Carignan and Mills each logged one hit, one RBI, one run and one walk. 
• Quintana rouned out the Rams with hits with one to go along with one RBI and one walk. 
• Huber added one run. 
• Quintana, Turnbull, O'Neil, Gustafson and Southers all stole one base.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Juniata played for the first time. 
• Carignan stretched her hit streak, which dates back to May 10, 2023, to eight games. In that span she has 12 hits including 10 singles and two doubles. 
• Newhall has had extra base hits in back-to-back games. She hit a double for the first time as a Ram.  She had a career-high two hits. 
• Turnbull matched a personal-best in hits with two. 
• Mills walked for the first time in her collegiate career. 
• Hubner has scored one run as ap inch game in all six games she has appeared this year.
• Southers matched a career-high two runs scored. 
• Southers and Quintana both tied a personal-best in stolen bases (1). 
• Turnbull and O'Neil stole a base for the first time in their collegiate careers.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Rams wrap their fourth day at The Spring Games this afternoon against the Milwaukee School of Engineering.