Baseball Takes Care of Anna Maria in Game 1, 7-3

EAST BOSTON – Suffolk baseball broke a 3-all game open in the fifth en route to a 7-3 game one victory over Anna Maria Sunday afternoon at East Boston Memorial Park.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 7 | Anna Maria 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (22-13) | Anna Maria (16-20)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Both sides had an opportunity in the opening inning as each team managed to fill the bases. Neither took advantage of the chance though and zeros hung on the board with one inning in the books.  

Anna Maria broke open the score behind a Rams error in the third inning. Brady Aylwar hit two-out gapper between Suffolk's first and second baseman. The hit pushed Jeremy Rosen, who led off with a double to right field, over to third. On the play Joe Norris attempted to make throw to Harry Painter, but was off target, which allowed Rosen to strut in to put the AMCATs on the board. 

The Rams responded in the home half of the third. Garret Roberts and Jonny Gilbride walked to reach safely and moved to third and second, respectively, on a wild pitch. Alex Sorenti-Burns barreled a bases clearing single to center field to send the host ahead. Max Iorio's base hit to right sent Soretni-Burns to third in time for the grad student to tag up on Sam Armbruster's long out to right that made it a 3-1 Suffolk score.  

The ground Suffolk built quickly was erased as Anna Mara evened things up behind a two-run top of the fourth. The AMCATS wasted little time to figure out Rams' reliever Ian Maude and used two hits, a hit by pitch and a sac fly to lock things at 3-3.

Suffolk snuck back in front in the bottom of the fifth. Painter started the inning with a double down the left field line and Sorenti-Burns wore a pitch to take first. With one out, Armbruster knocked a double to right center to clear the bags and give the blue-and-gold the two-run upperhand once again.  

The Rams scoring did not stop there as Armbruster worked his way in on back-to-back wild pitches to turn it into a three-run game, 6-3 

An error by the AMCATs right fielder in the seventh inning allowed Roberts score. The senior worked a one-out walk to take first and moved over to second thanks to Gilbride's base hit to left.  

Suffolk took its 7-3 lead into the seventh inning. Jonathan Guadacione kept the game going with a two-out single through the left and swiped second to get into scoring position but was stranded there as Colin Flynn gloved Ian White's hit to center to preserved the series-opening win.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Ian Maude picked up the decision. He let up two runs on three hits and one walk in 2.0 innings of relief. 
• Jack Raimo started and put together a one-run, seven-hit, two-walk, two-strikeout effort in 3.0 innings of action. 
• Gregory Kaufmann secured the save with 2.0 innings of scoreless work out of the pen. He allowed one hit and fanned on batter. 
• Nick Choate suffered the setback for Anna Maria after giving up six runs on five hits and five walks with five strikeouts to his credit in 4.2 innings.
• Owen Sullivan shoved 1.1 inning of relief for the AMCATs. He allowed one unearned run on one hit and one walk with one strikeout. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Suffolk's six hits were scattered across six bats in Roberts, Gilbride, Painter, Sorenti-Burns, Iorio and Armbruster. 
• Painter's and Armbruster's hits were good for extra bases, both doubles. 
• Armbruster brought in three runs and Sorenti-Burns plated two. 
• Painter collected one RBI as well. 
• Roberts and Sorenti-Burns scored two runs each, while Gilbride, Painter and Armbruster scored one run apiece. 
• Roberts and Christopher White both walked twice each.  

NOTEWORTHY

• The Rams ran their win streak to seven. 
• Suffolk and Anna Maria renewed a rivalry, meeting for the first time since 2019. 
• Suffolk is now 16-2 all-time against Anna Maria. 
• The win is the Rams fourth in a row against the AMCATs. 
• At home, Suffolk is unbeaten, 9-0, against AMC. 
• Suffolk and Anna Maria battled as non-conference foes for the first time. 
• Raimo got the nod for the first time in his collegiate career. 
• Maude moved to 2-0 on the bump this year. 
• Kaufmann secured his third save of the season. 
• Armbruster tied a career-high three RBI. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk wraps up the double feature with Anna Maria this afternoon.