Gordon Sneaks by Baseball in Extras in Game 1, 5-3

EAST BOSTON – Suffolk baseball rallied a late comeback to force extras, but ultimately fell to Gordon, 5-3, in 11 innings Saturday afternoon at East Boston Memorial Park.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Gordon 5
RECORDS: Suffolk (1-14, 0-2 CNE) | Gordon (5-11, 1-1 CNE)  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Gordon threatened in the top of the third as a pair of Fighting Scots found themselves in scoring position with one out behind a pair of base hits and stolen bases. Anthony Ferreira sat Tyler Wilson down swinging before Sebastian Lampert turned an assisted putout at first to keep things scoreless. 
• In the home half of the third Suffolk decided to break onto the board. Vasili Scangas led off the frame with a double to center and used a perfectly placed bunt by Stephen Nardelli to land on second. Noah Greco's base hit to left scored the Ram and gave the host a 1-0 edge. 
• James Coats singled to left and came all the way around thanks to Gabe Fales double to left to level the playing field at 1-all in the top of the fourth. 
• The visitors capitalized on an infield error in the top of the fifth to put the Rams in a 3-1 hole. 
• Gordon aimed to pad the margin in the top of the sixth. Aaron Ferreira walked used a sac bunt by Adama Gracie to take second and put on his running shoes when CJ Massella singled to left. Ferreira did not stop at third and went in to score. The Rams relayed in from left and made the play at the plate to keep the two-run gap intact. 
• Suffolk trimmed the distance to one in the seventh when Luke Thornton's double to right field plated Sam Armbruster, who reached on a fielder's choice and got into scoring position with a stolen base. 
• The blue-and-gold's comeback continued into the eighth as Colin Flynn's sac fly to right brought the tying run in. He scored Scangas, who got the frame underway with a base hit up the middle and sprinted to third on Greco's diving first single at first. 
• A walk-off opportunity presented itself in the ninth as Lampert laced a two-out triple to left. The winning run remained on third, however, as Gordon's second baseman Gracie gloved Thortnton's pop up to force extras. 
• The Fighting Scots saw their own chance in the top of the 10th. A two-outu fielding error by the Rams first baseman allowed Coats on first before Fales sent a base hit to third. Blake King, who ran for Coats, over ran second and was tagged by Mike Mullaney to keep things even. 
• Gordon got the go-ahead in the top of the 11th. A walk and single put Fighting Scots on first and second before C Shin doubled to right to clear the bags and give the visitors the 5-3 advantage.
• Greco signaled to get the home half of the frame underway, but the Rams were retired from there to suffer the setback. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Ferreira compiled a three-run, one-earned nine-hit, one-walk, four-strikeout performance over 9.0 innings. 
• Jack Raimo registered the loss as he gave up two runs on three hits and two walks in 2.0 innings out of the pen. 
• Gordon's reliever Brett Moore earned the win as he shoved 3.0 innings of scoreless relief with two hits allowed and three punchouts. 
• Kevin Whalen started and compiled a three-run, six-hit effort over 8.0 frames.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Greco went 3-for-4 with one RBI. 
• Scangas supplied two hits, including one double, and two runs. 
• Thornton tallied one hit and one RBI. 
• Flynn brought in one run on a sac fly. 
• Lampert logged on hit, a triple. 
• Jack Mihalchik notched one hit. 
• Armbruster scored one run. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Mihalchik has knocked hits in back-to-back games. 
• Lampert hit the first triple of his collegiate career. 
• Thornton has stretched his hit streak to 12 games. In that span he has 13 hits. 
• Scangas had a career-high in hits (2) and runs (2). 
• Greco produced a personal-best three hits.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk looks to split the action with Gordon in the night cap this afternoon.