Baseball Entertains Rivier, Visits Norwich this Weekend

BOSTON – The Suffolk baseball team takes its four-game win streak back into GNAC play this weekend as the Rams are set to host Rivier Saturday and visit Norwich Sunday. Both doubleheaders are set to begin at 12 p.m. 

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LAST TIME OUT
The Suffolk baseball team had 10-plus runs for the fourth time in as many games as the Rams captured its fourth straight victory, a 12-4 win over Massachusetts Maritime at Hendy Field Thursday afternoon. 

Seven different Rams combined for 12 hits with Sean Cameron (2-for-3), Drew Carter (2-for-5), Seth Coiley (2-for-3), Jon Lapolla (2-for-5) and Luke Ronchi each contributing two. Coiley and Ronchi both had three RBIs to their credit. Cameron and Chant, meanwhile, each scored three runs. Overall, Suffolk stole eight bases successfully (nine tries) the most since matching that number in a 12-4 triumph at Albertus Magnus April 6, 2014. 

Tim Conroy earned his third win on the bump, moving to 3-0 on the year, with the sophomore tossing seven innings, giving up four runs on 13 hits and striking out five. Mark Fusco and Cal Carroll each put in an inning of work in relief.  

MORE READING: Baseball Steals 12-4 Win at Massachusetts Maritime

RUN DOWN ON THE RAMS
Suffolk, who is receiving votes in the D3Baseball.com Top 25 Poll and is ranked seventh in the NEIBA, has surpassed its win total from a year ago as the Rams sit at 19-5 overall.  

Jon Lapolla (.392/.413/.515) leads the team in hits (38) and stolen bases (10) and is second on the team in runs (25) and RBI (24). Jake Frasca (.380/.406/.587) is first on the squad in RBI (27), homers (3) and doubles (10) and is tied for second with Brady Chant (.350/.421/.530) in hits with 35.  

Four different pitches are unbeaten on the mound for Suffolk this season paced by Kevin Sinatra's and Worth Walrod's 4-0 marks. Sinatra boasts a 1.88 ERA in 24.0 innings, while Walrod holds a 2.08 ERA. Tim Conroy (3-0) and Frasca (2-0) are also unbeaten. Conroy has tossed 19.0 innings and holds a .426 ERA, while Frasca has throw 5.1 innings of relief. Kyle Turner (2-2, 3.52 ERA) and Chuck Gibson are one-two in strikeouts with 36 and 26, respectively. 

IMPROVING THIEVES
Last season Suffolk stole 54 bases all year. In just 24 games this season the Rams have surpassed their total of 54 from a year ago, successfully stealing 58 bags, the most in the GNAC, and have been caught in the act 15 times. On the flip side, Suffolk opponents have just 26 steals in 31 attempts. 

THE .300 CLUB
Nearing the midpoint of the season, eight Suffolk batters are swinging the bat well, hitting .300 or better in 2.5 dish appearances per game: Kevin Belskie (.378), Sean Cameron (.329), Drew Carter (.425), Brady Chant (.350), Seth Coiley (.324) Jake Frasca (.380), Jon Lapolla (.392) and Rob Marks (.333). 

As a team, the Rams are hitting .338, the second-best average in the league, and the 16th highest amongst all Division III programs. 

The three top hitters for Suffolk – Carter, Lapolla and Frasca - rank amongst the GNAC's best bats. Carter is second (.425), Lapolla is eighth (.392) and Frasca is tenth (.380).  

TEN HITS AND COUNTING
The Rams have put together double-digit hits in 75 percent (18-24) of their games this season, including seven straight contests with double figure hits from March 16 through March 26. Suffolk is averaging 11.7 hits per game, the most in the GNAC, this season. Suffolk produced a season-best 23 hits in an 18-4 win against Clarkson March 13, the most by the blue-and-gold since it tallied 26 over Norwich three years ago (April 24, 2013). 

WALKIN' OFF
Senior co-captain Jon Lapolla's two-out, RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted Suffolk past Montclair State, 4-3 in a walk-off win. The Rams had two walk-off victories in 2015, with the most important coming in the 13th inning over Johnson & Wales in the GNAC Championship game. 

SETH SHATTERS IT
At Endicott April 6, Seth Coiley led off the fourth inning in style. The sophomore's second at bat extended his hit streak to two thanks to a long ball over the left field fence to break open a scoreless tie. Coiley's homer is the second of the second, in as many games and of his collegiate career. The Arlington, Massachusetts product is the first Ram to strike back-to-back home runs since the ABCA/Rawlings second-team All-American Mike Cunningham '13 did so three times in his senior campaign in 2013 with the last coming April 21-22 against Johnson & Wales and Albertus Magnus, respectively. 

FOUR HOMERS AND THREE YEARS AGO
Four different Rams combined to hit four balls out of the park at Curry, the most home runs by a Suffolk squad since matching that number in a 14-0 victory over Rivier April 7, 2013. 

HERO OF THE WEEK
Jon Lapolla continues to have a superior senior season as the Providence, Rhode Island native won a national poll conducted by HeroSports.com as the National Offensive HERO of the Week in Division III baseball March 29.

Lapolla was nominated for the honor on the heels of a 6-2 second Spring Break leg for the Rams and his first GNAC Corvias Player of the Week accolade of his storied career. The 6-foot-2 infielder beat out his competition, grabbing 87 percent of the votes, more than 130 than the second-place finisher with 146 of the near 200 submitted.

MORE READING: Lapolla Wins Vote, Named HeroSports DIII Offensive HERO of the Week  

CORVIAS ECAC DIII ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
After turning in a five-run, four-RBI performance over the course of Suffolk baseball's three wins last week, the ECAC recognized Jake Frasca as Division III New England Rookie of the Week.

MORE READING: Frasca Recognized as Corvias ECAC DIII Rookie of the Week  

WEEKLY HONORS
Every week that Suffolk has been in action (five) a Ram student-athlete has been recognized for their efforts by the GNAC with the blue-and-gold earning 38 percent (7-for-18) of the conference's weekly awards. Worth Walrod's two pitcher of the week accolades lead the way with Jon Lapolla and Drew Carter each being named player of the week March 21 and April 4, respectively. Jake Frasca and Kevin Sinatra each picked up their first weekly awards of their collegiate careers with Frasca being tabbed the best rookie over a seven day stretch and Sinatra earning the best hurler nod March 28. Frasca tacked on his second rookie weekly award on April 11 to bring Suffolk's total to seven. 

RAIDERS RUN DOWN
Rivier has slipped up in its last four and six of its last season to bring a 6-18 record, 1-3 conference mark into Saturday's twinbill. The Raiders last win and only GNAC victory was a 1-0 triumph versus Anna Maria April 9.  

Tyler Ferdinand has been the different for the Raiders at the plate, leading the squad in batting average (.393), hits (35), runs (19), stolen bases (21) and is second in RBI (13). Taylor Black paces Rivier in RBI with (20) thank to a .303 batting average and 27 hits, including a team-best eight doubles.  

Nicholas Pica has been Rivier's go-to armt tho season, with the senior, who is 2-2, has thrown a team-high 37.1 innings and has a team-best 3.62 ERA. Edward Soucie boasts the best record, 3-2, with 32.2 innings of work and a 5.79 ERA.  

CATCH UP ON THE CADETS
Norwich has had a slow season, only marking two tallies in the win column, with the Cadets holding a 2-18 ledger and 0-2 mark in conference competition. Despite the record, Norwich won it last putting, a 14-7 triumph versus Southern Vermont April 14. The Cadets will face Albertus Magnus Saturday prior to Sunday's showdown with Suffolk.  

Kevin Lynch has put together a team-high 16 hits, but its Brandon Pedley's bat who leads the way with the junior contributing team-bests in RBI (6) and runs (4). Drew Caldwell is the most consistent bat, producing a .455 average on five hits and five RBI.  

Three different hurlers have seen action this season. Jacob Ryan paces the Cadets' staff with 20.2 innings of work and a 6.10 ERA.  

COMING UP
Suffolk steps away from conference place for a midday match at Babson on Patriots Day.