Softball Holds Off UNE’s Comeback in Nightcap, 6-4

BIDDEFORD, Maine – Suffolk softball jumped out to a 5-0 early edge and limited the University of New England's late comeback to capture a 6-4 game two triumph over the Nor'Easters. With the victory, the Rams swept the Conference of New England (CNE) double feature at Nor'Easteres Stadium Wednesday.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 6 | University of New England 4
RECORDS: Suffolk (8-10, 2-0 CNE) | University of New England (6-16, 0-6 CNE)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Singles by Catherine Carignan and Lily Gustafson wrapped around one out put Rams on second in third. Ella Turnbull cleared the bases with a base hit up the middle to put the blue-and-gold on the board. Julia Mills kept the singles show going with one of her own through the center of the infield before Lily Newhall's double to left center brought Turnbull and Mills in. Ava Brandow traded places with Newhall at second as she barreled a double to left to give Suffolk a 5-0 advantage with one frame in the books. 

Three scoreless innings followed before the University of New England eliminated the shutout. Back-to-back one-out doubles let the Nor'Easters get on the board and a one-run single through the left side by Jadyn Kimball trimmed the Rams' cushion to three in the top of the fifth.  

Suffolk pushed the gap back to four in the home half of the inning. Gustafson worked a one-out walk and put on her running shoes when Mills placed a double in left center to make it a 6-2 game. 

Pinch hitters for UNE managed to tack on two more runs in the top of the sixth to slice the Rams lead to a pair, 6-4.  

The Rams were retired in order in the bottom of the sixth to keep the distance at a pair as the game went to the top of the seventh.  

Cynthia Rucinski got the first two outs quickly, but Kimball kept the Nor'Easter hopes alive with a double to right center. Suffolk did not let the pressure of having the tying run at the plate show as Brandow gloved Delaney Whitten's hit in right field to seal the nightcap victory for the blue-and-gold.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Cynthia Rucinski compiled a four-run, three-earned, 11-hit, no-walk, two-strikeout, complete-game effort. 
• Kara MacDonald took the loss as she yielded six runs on eight hits and one walk with one strikeout over 6.0 innings. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Mills went 3-for-3 with one double, one RBI and one run. 
• Newhall and Turnbull had identical one-hit, a double, two-RBI, one-run stat lines.
• Gustafson recorded two runs, one hit and one walk. 
• Carignan contributed one hit and one run. 
• Brandow logged one RBI and one hit.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk is off to a 2-0 CNE start for the first time since 2022.
• Suffolk took an 8-7 lead in the all-time series with UNE. leveled the series with UNE at 7-7. 
• The Rams won three games in a row versus the Nor'Easters for the first time since in program history. 
• Suffolk is 5-2 on the road against UNE. 
• IN CNE contests, the blue-and-gold is 5-6 versus the UNE. 
• Suffolk improved to 4-1 against the Nor'Easters under Megan Cook's guidance. 
• The blue-and-gold swept a twinbill with UNE for the first time.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk is back in action tomorrow, Friday, April 11 with a doubleheader at Gordon. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.