Softball Outlasts Albertus Magnus in Extras, 8-7

MYRTLE BEACH – The Suffolk softball team won its third game in a row at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic at North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex, but needed extra time to do so as the Rams took down Albertus Magnus, 8-7, in eight innings.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 8 | Albertus Magnus 7
RECORDS: Suffolk (3-2) | Albertus Magnus (4-1) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk grabbed a one-run lead in the top of the first and did so without a hit. Caitlin Murphy wore one, stole second, and moved to third on Alexa White's long out to center. An erratic pitch by Falcons' twirler Skylar Arent allowed Murphy to strut in and give the Rams a 1-0 edge.  

The Falcons threated in the home half of the second as they chucked the bags with no outs. The Rams infield took care of business as third baseman Ally Cifaratta teamed up Ira Boci for a force out at the plate then pitcher Kennedy Reyes did the same to help herself out. Cifaratta gloved Breanna Saldivar's screamer down the third base line to keep the one-run lead in Suffolk's favor.   

Extra base hits added to the advantage in the third. Haley Oteri took Savannah Scripter's spot on the bases after the first baseman barreled a base hit to right field. Oteri cruised in on Cifaratta's double to left field before Ava Brandow roped a dinger to left to clear the bags and extend the edge to 4-0.  

Albertus Magnus found its way on the board in the bottom of the fifth on a deep double down the left field line by Ivy Geloso that brought in Madison LaBossiere, who singled to center, to trim matters down to three, 4-1.  

More ground was made up in the home half of the sixth as the Falcons used three hits and a Rams' error to level the playing field at 4-all.  

Pinch hitter Jolie Quintana came up big for Suffolk as she rocked a double to left to get the top of the seventh going. The freshman turned on her running shoes when Scripter launched a single to left field to push the Rams in front, 5-4. Two outs later Cifaratta, who reached on a fielder's choice, capitalized on a bobble by the Falcons' third baseman Lucielle Rodriguez to add an insurance run. 

Suffolk looked to take that two-run momentum into the bottom of the seventh and lock up the victory. Back-to-back base on balls, a stolen base and one out later Cifaratta over threw a routine ground ball to first that allowed two Falcons to come in and the score evened again, this time at 6-all at the end of the scheduled seven stanzas.   

With international softball rules in effect, Ira Boci took second to start the eighth. Karina Bua bunted her over and Ashley King's single to center plated the go-ahead run. King took third behind Rebecca Gonzalez double to left and Suffolk's second baseman tacked on an extra tally on an overthrow by the Falcons' third baseman.  

Jenny Jacob took over for Reyes on the rubber with the Rams up 8-6 in the bottom of the eighth. Ema Signore started on second and took third on a wild pitch. Jacob secured the first out of the frame on a ground out to third, but Sigmore managed to score behind a ground out to short to trim the lead back to one. That's as close as the Falcons would get as Jacob sealed the deal when she fanned Geloso looking 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Reyes registered the victory. She let up seven runs, four earned, on eight hits and four walks with six strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work. 
• Jacob tallied the save with 1.0 inning of hitless relief walk with one punchout. 
• Signore suffered the setback after allowing four runs, one earned, on seven hits and one walk in 5.0 innings of work. 
• Arent started the action and gave up four runs on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts in 3.0 innings. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Cifaratta contributed a 3-for-4 effort with one double, two runs, one RBI and one stolen base.
• Scripter also went 3-for-4 with one RBI and drew one walk. 
• Brandown tallied two RBI on one hit, a home run, and one run scored. 
• Gonzalez notched two hits. 
• Murphy pitched in one hit, one run and one stolen base. 
• Quintana registered one hit, a double, and scored once. 
• King added one run, one RBI and one hit. 
• Boci and Oteri both scored one run.  

NOTEWORHTY

• Suffolk renewed a series with Albertus Magnus as the teams meet for the first time since 2019 and 53rd time overall. 
• The Rams moved to 37-16 all-time against Albertus Magnus. 
• Suffolk and Albertus Magnus went into extra innings for the first time since April 22, 2018, which the Rams won 8-6. 
• Suffolk needed extra time to decide a winner since taking down Endicott, 11-10, in eight innings April 7, 2021.
• Reyes remains unbeaten in the circle this season, 2-0.
• Jacobs earned the first save of her Suffolk career.
• Brandow hit her first collegiate homer. 
• Quintana had the first double of her career and scored her first collegiate run.
• Scripter matched a career-high three hits. 
• Cifaratta matched a personal-best in runs scored with two to her credit.
• Gonzalez set a new career-high in hits with two.  

POST-GAME PIC
 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk is scheduled to wrap up its third day of action at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic at 11:30 a.m. against Stevenson.