Conley Twirls as Softball Shutouts Salve Regina in Six, 6-0

NEWPORT, R.I. – Ashlyn Conley shoved a one-hit, complete-game shutout as Suffolk softball blanked Salve Regina, 8-0, in six innings in the opener of a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader at Toppa Field. The win is Suffolk's first-ever over Salve Regina in program history. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 8 |Salve Regina 0
RECORDS: Suffolk (8-17, 4-6 CCC) | Salve Regina (14-16, 6-6 CCC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Ira Boci laced a one-out double to left field and coasted in on Savannah Scripter's single up the middle to give Suffolk a 1-0 edge after the first inning.  

Conley retired the side in the first and second, respectively, before Salve Regina threatened in the third. A walk by Katie Ramos broke up Suffolk's twirler's perfect game and the host had a change to go up as it put a pair of ducks in the pond. The blue-and-gold's defense backed up Conley though and forced SRU to strand the two runners. 

Insurance came for Suffolk in the top of the fourth. Scripter singled up the middle and Ella Turnbull walked to put Rams on first and second. Catherine Carignan put down a punt that moved both runners into scoring position in time for Ally Cifaratta to clear the bases with a double to left center. The scoring didn't stop there as Salve Regina's short stop Mia Bennett bobbled the ball on Lily O'Neil's base hit up the middle, which allowed Cifaratta to coast home and turn it into a 4-0 game.  

Cifaratta worked a two-out walk to keep the sixth inning going, which allowed Suffolk to double the distance to 8-0 and turn on the run-rule. The runs came off four hits. Caitlin Murphy and Boci brought in one run each and Ava Brandow collected two RBI on her single to left.  

The the Seahawks had hopes of not being shutout as Sam Franceschi managed a one-out walk in the bottom of the sixth. Suffolk's defense, specifically the middle infield of shortstop O'Neil and second base Lily Gustafson combined for the next two outs to lock up the shutout, six-inning triumph.   

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Conley put together a one-hit, three-walk, three-strikeout effort in all 6.0 innings en route to the victory. 
• Sophie Gendron took the loss after giving up eight runs, seven earned, on 10 hits and four walks with a pair of punchouts.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Boci went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles for one RBI and two runs. 
• Scripter supplied a 2-for-3 effort with one RBI. 
• Cifaratta brought in two runs on her lone hit, a double, two runs and one walk. 
• O'Neil put together a 2-for-3 performance with one run. 
• Murphy tallied one hit, one RBI and one run. 
• Conley and Turnbull scored one run each.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk defeated Salve Regina for the first time in program history. 
• The Rams moved to 1-10 all-time against the Seahawks. 
• Suffolk is 1-2 against SRU in the Janet Maguire era. 
• The 8-0 shutout marks the first shutout in the series between Suffolk and Salve Regina.
• Suffolk blanked its second opponent of the season. 
• The Rams won via run-rule for the first time this year and first time since blanking Roger Williams, 9-0, in five frames April 24, 2021. 
• Both of Conley's collegiate victories have come via shutout. 
• Boci matched a career-high in hits (3) and doubles (2). 
• O'Neil tied a personal-best two hits.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk concludes the CCC twinbill with the Seahawks this afternoon.