Softball Tops Wentworth in Game 1, 7-3

EAST BOSTON – Suffolk softball strung together seven unanswered runs over the first four innings to take a 7-3 victory over Wentworth in game one of a Commonwealth Coast Conference double feature Sunday at East Boston Memorial Park.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 7 | Wentworth 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (17-20, 7-8 CCC) | Wentworth (19-16, 7-6 CCC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
A two-out rally by the Rams in the opening inning sent Suffolk in front 4-0. Maddie Southers doubles, Becky Zellinsingled and Delaney Doidge walked to put all the ducks in the pond. Julia Mills cleared the bags with a triple down the right field line to put the blue-and-gold on the board. Mills came in on Bella Rocha-Medeiros single up the middle to extend the edge to four. 

In the second Suffolk traded solo shots with outs to build a 6-0 lead. Jolie Quintana slugged a homer to center field before Southers knocked a no-doubter to nearly the same spot.  

The lead stretched to seven in the bottom of the fourth. Singles by Quintana and Carignan put Rams on first and second, which forced the Leopards to make a change in the circle. An erratic pitch by reliver Hayley Hines let both runners move up 60 feet and a bobble by WIT's backstop Kyla Igawa let Quintana come in to turn it into a 7-0 game.  

The Leopards managed to make it on the board in the top of the fifth. A one-out, two-run double by Annabelle Hebard started Wentworth's scoring before a productive ground out to short by Kelsey Medalia cut Suffolk's advantage to 7-3.  

WIT threatened again in the sixth as it chucked the bags. Luck was on Suffolk's side as it managed to get a force at home before Brianna Miller ran into an out at third to keep the four-run advantage in the Rams' favor.  

After a 3-up, 3-down inning for the blue-and-gold, Wentworth looked to rally around a lead-off walk by Jess Rowe. Ashlyn Conley came in to shove for Cynthia Rucinski and had other things in mind as she retired the side to preserve the conference victory for Suffolk.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Cynthia Rucinski earned the decision. She compiled a three-run, eight-hit, three-walk, two-strikeout effort in 6.0 innings of work. 
• Conley contributed a scoreless, hitless, 1.0 inning of work that featured a pair of punchouts. 
• Julie Schriver took the loss. She allowed seven runs, six earned, on eight hits and two walks with one K in 3.1 innings of work. 
• Hines logged 2.2 innings of scoreless relief with two hits allowed and one K.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Quintana went 2-for-4 with one homer. She brought in one run and scored two herself. 
• Southers supplied a 2-for-for4 effort as well with both of her hits good for extra bases. She had one double and one jack to finish with one RBI and a pair of runs scored. 
• Mills compiled a 2-for-3 plate performance that featured a triple. She tallied three RBI and one run. 
• Rocha-Medeiro added one hit and one RBI. 
• Zellin and Doidge each logged one hit and one run. The latter walked once. 
• Carignan chipped in one hit. 
• Diana Rucinski swiped one base.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk snapped a three-game skid against Wentworth. 
• The win over WIT is the Rams first since April 23, 2022. 
• The Rams moved to 17-7 all-time against the Leopards. 
• As the home team, the blue-and-gold is now 13-3 versus WIT. 
• The Rams sent two balls over the fence in a single game for the second time this season, first since barreling four bombs in a 9-1, five-inning win over Salem State, April 2, 2024
• Southers had her third homer of the year, while Quintana had her second. 
• Mills matched a personal-best three RBI. 
• Mills hit the first triple of her collegiate career.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk goes for the CCC doubleheader sweep of Wentworth this afternoon.