Baseball Shutouts Rivier, 8-0, in Game 1

NASHUA, N.H. – Suffolk baseball kept its GNAC record unblemished as it opened its two-game series with the Raiders of Rivier with an 8-0 victory Saturday afternoon at Harvey Woods Field.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 8 | Rivier 0 
RECORDS: Suffolk (14-9-1, 7-0 GNAC) | Rivier (5-18, 0-5 GNAC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Rams ran out to a three-run lead in the first frame with three runs on three hits. Trevor Lee got the rally going with a double down the right field line, advanced to third on Will Hopkins' single to right and scored on a wild pitch. Tim Brigham's double to left field scored Hopkins and Blase Cormier, who reached on a walk, to make the three-run margin in Suffolk's favor. 

Three innings later the blue-and-gold doubled the distance with another three-run inning. Another double started things off this time off Rich Giandrea's bat. The right fielder moved to third on Ben Isaak's single and easily scored thanks to Steven Shamnoski's double to left. A Raiders error let another Rams runner score before Cormier collected one RBI on a sac fly that scored Shamnoski and turned it into a 6-0 Suffolk score.  

Extra base hits continued for the Rams two frames later. With two down, Lee kept the inning going with a stand-up triple to right field, to bring in Shamnoski, who wore a pitch to open the inning. After a pitching change, Cormier's single to left field plate Lee and pushed Suffolk's advantage to 8-0.  

The Rams limited the Raiders of the rest of the way with Steven Rossi allowing just one base runner over the final two frames to remain perfect against conference competition.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Rossi picked up the victory behind a no-run, three-hit, three-walk, five-strikeout, complete-game effort. 
• Kyle Flanagan dipped to 1-4 on the year after allowing eight runs, six earned, on eight hits, three walks with three punchouts. 
• Daniel White came out of the pen for the Raiders. He let up two hits and fanned one batter in 1.1 innings of work.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Lee provided the spark at the plate with a 2-for-4 effort, with both hits good for extra bags with one double and one triple, respectively. The senior second baseman recorded a pair of RBI and runs, respectively. 
• Shamnoski registered a multi-hit game as well with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, including one double, for one RBI and two runs. 
• Cormier tallied one hit, two RBI, two walk, one sac fly and one hit.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk rattled off its sixth straight win over Rivier to improve to 39-6 all-time versus the Raiders. 
• Lee notched a personal-best five total bases and matched a career-high three hits. 
• The Rams kept their second league opponent off the scoreboard this season with their third shutout of the year. 
• Suffolk's senior class - Charles Batchelder, Trevor Lee, Kevin Sinatra, Connor Troio, Worth Walrod, and Tyler Zell - became the fifth consecutive four-year seniro class to eclipse the 100-win mark. 
• Rossi's record remains perfect at 5-0. The rookie hurler dealt his second complete-game shutout of his collegiate career and of the season. 
• Shamnoski tallied a season-high two hits.  

POST-GAME PIC
  

COMING UP
Suffolk closes the league double feature with the Raiders this afternoon.