Western New England Clips Baseball, 5-3

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Suffolk baseball team scored three runs over the first two innings, but it was not enough as Bay State rival Western New England got past the Rams, 5-3, Tuesday afternoon at Berry-Allen Field.  

Suffolk (11-4) was outhit by WNE (10-3), 10-6, and left four runners on base.

Seth Coiley's first inning triple out of the No. 3 spot paced the six different Rams who contributed hits. Brady Chant and Jon Lapolla, meanwhile, tallied RBIs for the Rams.

Senior Kyle Turner (1-1) picked up the loss, throwing 6.2 innings, allowing five runs, five hits, two walks and striking out six. Mark Fusco and Wyatt Stanley pitched relief. Fusco threw 1.1 innings, giving up one hit, while Stanley faced and walked two batters.

With two-outs in the first, Coiley buried a long shot to right field to record his first triple of the season and third of his career. The right fielder set up the Rams' clean-up hitter, Lapolla, who singled to left to bring the first run of the game in.

The Golden Bears answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the first. Two errors sandwiched an Alex Loparco double that loaded the bases for Doug Milne, who picked up a RBI sac fly to level the game at one. Sean Cameron ended the inning by catching Ben LaCroix's fly ball.

The Rams got two back in the second. Drew Carter grounded out to Bob Hamel to lead off, but Greg Speliotis drew a walk, stole second and a double to right field by Matt Brenner plated the sophomore designated hitter. Chant's two-out single to center field drove Brenner in for the 3-1 lead.

Suffolk failed to keep the lead for long, as WNE came back with two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth to pull ahead 4-3.

With the bullpen keeping the game close, Suffolk looked for another rally in the top of the seventh. Carter led off with a double through the right field line and Brenner flied out to center to move the senior into scoring position. Cameron sent a fly ball to the right field with two outs and Carter in scoring position, but Lacroix made the catch and kept the lead for the hosts.  

The Golden Bears drove in an insurance run in the seventh. Turner took care of the first two WNE batters, walked the third then Stanley came in. The junior left-handed reliever gave up two walks to the load the bases, before Fusco took over the mound for the Rams. Lacaire hit a single to right field off the rightie sophomore to bring in a run and make it a two-run lead.

Although Marks tallied his first walk of the afternoon, the Rams could not bring him around in the eighth and went out in order in the ninth as the Golden Bears took the game, 5-3.