Softball Captures City Clash at Emerson, 6-3

BOSTON – Suffolk softball secured Beantown bragging rights as it bested Boston Commons neighbor Emerson, 6-3, Thursday night at Rotch Field.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 6 | Emerson 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (10-7) | Emerson (2-8)  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After an eventual first inning Suffolk sat in front 3-2. The Rams runs came in on one hit and a pair of Lions' errors. Jolie Quintana capitalized on a throwing error by Emerson's third baseman Casey Yacovelli to lead off the game. The fifth-year landed on second on the plan and swiped third. Another fielding mishap by the host backstop Kayla Nuehlan allowed Ava Lanza to reach after she struck out and Quintana to come in to put the first run of the day on the board. Another strikeout throw down paid off for the blue-and-gold two batters later as Lanza scored before Claire Basaldua's single down the right field line plated Julia Mills, who walked to close out the Rams runs in inning one. 
• The scoring frenzy carried into the second stanza for Suffolk. A Roma Braid walked was followed by back-to-back base hits from Dana Still and Quintana to fill the bases. Lanza collected an RBI on a ground out to short before Catherine Carignan picked up one RBI on a sac fly to right to give Suffolk a 5-2 advantage. 
• The Lions chipped the distance down to two in the bottom of the fifth thanks to Avi Kuperman's double to left center. 
• Following a scoreless sixth, another dropped third strike by Emerson's catcher allowed a Rams' runner to come in to restore the three-run margin, 6-3. 
• Suffolk shut down the Lions in the bottom of the seventh thanks to the twirling of Lily Newhall to preserve the victory. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Newhall earned the win behind 4.0 innings or relief. She finished with one unearned run allowed on three hits with three punchouts. 
• Suffolk's starter Cynthia Rucinski registered three strikeouts as well in 3.0 innings of work, which she let up two unearned runs on one hit and three walks. 
• Cal Sheehan took the loss despite 12 strikeouts as she allowed six runs, two earned, on four hits and three walks with in 7.0 innings. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Still supplied two hits and one run. 
• Carignan brought in two runs on a pair of sac flies.
• Lanza logged one RBI and one run. 
• Quintana recorded two runs scored and one hit. 
• Braid and Mills scored one run apiece.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk has defeated Emerson in back-to-back meetings to move to 28-34 all-time against the Lions. 
• The Rams are now 17-18 all-time on the road against Emerson. 
• The blue-and-gold improved to 4-1 versus the Lions under head coach Megan Cook.
• Still matched a career-high two hits. 
• Carignan had a personal-best two sac flies. 
• Quintana pushed her hit streak to a dozen games. She has 19 hits in that span. 
• Basaldua has produced one hit in the last three games.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk preps for its Sunday, March 29 showdown with Conference of New England (CNE) counterpart Johnson & Wales. The Rams and Wildcats have a 12:00 p.m. start for game one.