Baseball Thumps Gordon in Eight, 16-6

EAST BOSTON – Suffolk baseball knocked two grand slams and stole a dozen bases in a 16-6, eight-inning Commonwealth Coast Conference win over Gordon Tuesday afternoon at East Boston Memorial Park.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 16 | Gordon 6
RECORS: Suffolk (7-11, 3-5 CCC) | Gordon (8-18, 1-5 CCC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
A grand slam by Joe Ward gave Suffolk a 4-0 cushion after the first frame. The left fielder slugged a no doubter to right center that cleared the bases that were chucked after Max Iorio, Harry Painter and Marc Birbiglia all walked.  

Gordon threatened in the top of the third as it filled the bases on three straight walks. The fourth base on balls in a row allowed the Fighting Scots to get on the board and chip down the Rams' lead to three, 4-1.  

Painter helped himself in the home half of the third as he tapped a two-run shot over the left field fence to spread the edge to 6-1. 

Suffolk pushed the margin to six in the bottom of the fourth after an overthrow to second by Gordon's catcher Ryan McSally on a first and third play allowed Iorio to score.  

The Fighting Scots figured Painter out in the top of the fifth as they poured in four runs on four hits, a sac fly and a walk, before Anthony Del Prete went to bull. Pierce Salbego took over for Painter with one out. A base hit to center and a pair of fielding errors by the Rams allowed Gordon to tact on another run and make it a one-run game, 7-6.   

Smart base running by Luke Harder padded Suffolk's lead back to a pair in the bottom of the fifth. The senior walked and advanced to third on a failed pickoff, overthrow by Gordon's reliever Zack Fay. When Michael Cole struck out swinging, McSally dropped the ball and had to make the throw to first to secure the out. Harder read the play and sprinted home to extend the edge to 8-6 Rams with five frames in the books.  

Pinch hitter Sam Armbruster wore a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth to lengthen Suffolk's lead back to three, 9-6. 

Painter restored the four-run distance in the seventh when he collected a RBI on a base hit to left field. The pitcher turned designated hitter plated Gilbride, who led off with a walk. 

In the eighth, Gilbride and Roberts each wore a pitch with the bases loaded to stretch the gap to six to bring up Painter. He let the ball fly deep to left field and his second bomb of the day cleared the bases to turn on the mercy-rule and lock up the conference win. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Painter put together a six-run (five-earned), seven-hit, seven-walk, six-strikeout effort over 4.1 innings of work. 
• Salbego secured the win with 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed just one hit and one walk with a pair of punchouts. 
• Brandon Bloom took the loss after allowing six runs on three hits and three walks with two Ks over 2.1 innings. 
• Gianni Mercurio (1.2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 2 K), Zack Fay (2.0 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K), Sam Carlson (1.0 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K), Brayden Seaman (4 R, 3 BB) and Luke Yamashiro (2 R, 1 H) all came out of the pen for the Fighting Scots. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Painter went 3-for-3 with a pair of dingers for seven RBI and four runs, two walks and three stolen bases. 
• Ward brought in four runs on his lone hit, a bomb, to go along with a pair of walks and one run scored. 
• Iorio and Gilbride scored three runs each. The former walked three times, while the later had one hit, one RBI and one walk. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk had a homer in two straight games for the first time this season and first time since recording a jack in a 19-1, seven-inning offensive onslaught of Wentworth May 7, 2022 and knocking two bombs in the CCC Play-in game against Gordon two days later. 
• Suffolk rocked two homers in a game this season for the third time first since producing two jacks in a 13-10 setback at WPI March 20, 2023. 
• Suffolk had two grand slams in one game for the first time according to the game-by-game record book which dates through the 2011 campaign. 
• Suffolk's 12 stolen bases are the most for the Rams in the game-by-game record book, which dates back to the 2011 season. 
• The Rams 17 walks are the most since drawing 17 base on balls in a 36-2, seven-inning win over Anna Maria April 15, 2017.
• The Rams have defeated Gordon in five straight meetings to move to 7-4 all-time against the Fighting Scots. 
• Suffolk is unbeaten, 5-0, at home versus Gordon.
• Ward has had a homer in back-to-back games for the first time this season and in his career. 
• Ward registered a grand slam for the first time in his career. He is the first Ram to send a ball over the fence with the bases full since Rich Gilbride produced a grand slam in a 10-4 triumph over Fitchburg State March 15, 2019 at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.  
• Painter matched a personal-best two homers, achieving the feat for the second time in his career, first since May 1, 2022 versus Brandeis. 
• Painter had a career-high in RBI (7), stolen bases (3) and runs scored (4). 
• Painter produced his first career grand slam.  

POST-GAME PIC
 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk heads to Wheaton tomorrow, Wednesday, April 12 for a 4:00 p.m. non-conference clash.