Holmes Deals Complete-Game Shutout, Softball Defeats Norwich, 9-0

NORTHFIELD, Vt. –Taylor Holmes led Suffolk softball to its second shutout victory of the season as she scattered two hits and struck out seven in a 9-0 win over Norwich Sunday afternoon at Sabine Field.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 9, Norwich 0
RECORDS: Suffolk (9-6, 4-1 GNAC) | Norwich (5-6, 3-4 GNAC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk and Norwich had a scoreless battle going through the first three frames before the Rams' bats got going in the fourth. Jaclyn Flint wore a pitch to start things off and went around the bases with wild pitches to open the scoring. With runners on second and third, McKenzie McGrath collected an RBI with a single to left field, scoring Delaney Sylvester, who reached on a base-on-balls. Payton Sylvester used a single of her own to score Ashley Zulla, before Sydney Littlefield plated McGrath and Sylvester with a deep single to center. Littlefield came in on a Devlin Frost's single down the right field line and Flint barreled a triple in her second at bat of the inning to bring Frost in, which made it a 7-0 Suffolk contest.  

Holmes commanded the circle in the home half of the fourth, sitting down three hitters before the Rams added to their advantage. For the second time on the day Littlefield knocked a deep single to the outfield to bring in two runners, Zulla and Madison Eucalitto, who each singled, to stretch Suffolk's cushion to 9-0. 

Holmes retired the side in the bottom of the fifth to secure the 9-0 shutout for Suffolk.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Holmes twirled a no-run, no-walk, two-hit, seven-strikeout, complete-game effort to improve to 4-0 on the season. 
• Emily Oliver suffered the setback on the rubber with the Cadets starter allowing seven runs on seven hits and three walks through 4.0 innings. 
• Jenna Sprague gave up two runs on three hits and one walk in one frame of relief work.  

STATISTCALLY SPEAKING

• Payton Sylvester went 3-for-3 at the dish with one double, one RBI and one run scored. 
• Littlefield had a 2-for-4 showing at the plate with four rBI and one run scored. 
• Zulla contributed two runs and one hit. 
• Frost, Flint, McGrath and Eucalitto each registered one hit and one run apiece for the Rams. 
• Frost, Flint and McGrath all had one RBI apiece.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk opened the GNAC 4-1 for the first time since 2016. 
• Suffolk shutout Norwich for the third consecutive contest. 
• The Rams, won their third straight game versus the Cadets, grabbed a 20-19 all-time versus Norwich.  
• Flint hit the first triple of the season and of her collegiate career. 
• Littlefield has a career-high four RBI behind a season-best two hits.
• Payton Sylvester has now reached base in her last 11 at bats with nine hits, one walk and one error. 

POST-GAME PIC
  

COMING UP
Suffolk wraps up the series at Norwich this afternoon.