Softball Comes Back, Downs Occidental in Extras, 8-7

LOS ANGELES – Suffolk softball overcame a four-run, seventh-inning deficit and willed its way to a season-opening, extra-inning 8-7 win over Occidental Friday at Bell Field. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 8 | Occidental 7
RECORDS: Suffolk (1-0) | Occidental (0-1) 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Suffolk's scoring started early it leapt out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Catherine Carignan led off the season with a walk, swiped second and reached prime scoring position when Jolie Quintana laced a two bagger to left center. A Tiger's throwing error when Julia Mills put the ball in play allowed Carignan and Quintana to come in to put the first two tallies on the board. 
• Occidental chipped away at the blue-and-gold's lead with one run in the bottom of the second and third, respectively. 
• The score remained locked at 2-all until the bottom of the fourth. With Tigers on first and second and one out, head coach Megan Cook made the decision to bring in Cynthia Rucinski from the pen. A base hit from Anna Kim juiced the bags for the host before Jordan Lebsock's single to right brought in two runs. A pinch runner and walk later, Kadence Bernard's base knock to center plated Kim to stretch the gap to three, 5-2. 
• That margin grew to four an inning later as the Tigers scored one more behind a two-out Rams' fielding hiccup at short. 
• The Rams had their backs against the wall and was one out away from a loss in the seventh. Ava Lanza kept the game going with a single up the middle. From there, Quintana worked a walk and Claire Basaldua wore a pitch to put all the ducks in the pond in time for Julia Mills' two-run single to center. Newhall kept the rally going and managed to knock a two-run double to center to tie the game at 6-all. 
• The blue-and-gold held off Occidental in the bottom of the seventh despite a base hit to force the extra inning. 
• Suffolk grabbed a two-run lead in the top of the eight thanks to Carignan's two-run double to right center. The scoring play came after the ghost runner, Roma Briad, used Dana Still's sac to move to third, before Abby Barnaby reached on an Occidental error and stole second. 
• Like Suffolk, the Tigers used small ball to advance the runner on second to third. The déjà vu continued as the offense continued with two outs as Rachel Rotunno barreled a base hit up the middle to slice the distance down to one, 8-7. Thankfully, history did not continue to repeat itself as Briad gloved Amarie Bolen's pop up at third to secure the season-opening win for Suffolk. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Rucinski recorded the win. The junior compiled a three-run (one-earned), seven-hit, one-walk, one-strikeout performance in 4.2 innings of relief. 
• Starter Newhall let up four runs, three earned, on eight hits and one walk with one punchout in 3.1 frames of work. 
• Lehua Acoba took the loss for the Tigers as she allowed six runs, four earned, off four hits and one walk in 3.0 innings of relief. 
• Jacynda Lindsay put together a two-run, one-earned, three-hit, two-walk, five-strikeout effort in 5.0 frames.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Mills went 2-for-4 at the dish with two RBI and one run scored. 
• Carignan contributed two RBI on one hit, a double, to go along with one run and one walk. 
• Lanza logged two hits and one run. 
• Quintana contributed one hit, a double, two runs, one RBI and one walk. 
• Newhall notched two RBI on one hit, a double, to go along with one walk. 
• Charis Fenter, Briad and Barnaby added one run each. 
• Still supplied a crucial sac.

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk started its season on a neutral field. It has been a yearly tradition that the Rams have played on a neutral diamond in game one since 1995. 
• Suffolk started the year in the win column for the first time since 2019, a 4-3 win over Rhodes. 
• The season-opening win is a first in the Cook era. 
• The Rams are now 9-29 in the first game of the season all-time. 
• The Rams went into extra innings in the first game of the year for the first time in program history. 
• The blue-and-gold went into extra innings for the first time since April 15, 2025, a 7-6 Suffolk triumph over Endicott in eight innings.
• The Rams are 5-2 in extras under Cook's leadership. 
• Occidental and Suffolk tangled for the first time. 
• Basaldua, Briad, Still and Heyman made their collegiate debuts. 
• Lanza played as a Ram for the first time in her collegiate career. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk continues its West Coast trip tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 14 against La Sierra at 10:00 p.m.