Softball Locks Up Sweep with 7-3 Nightcap Win Over Salve Regina

NEWPORT, R.I. – Suffolk softball needed just two hits to take down Salve Regina, 7-3, in game two of a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader at Toppa Field.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 7 | Salve Regina 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (9-17, 6-6 CCC) | Salve Regina (14-17, 6-7 CCC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk chased one run as the Seahawks scored an unearned run in the first. A high throw by Ava Brandow to Savannah Scripter at first on a routine 13 ground out let Salve Regina's lead-off Morgan Bello not only reach safely but take second. Bello was bunted over by Sam Franceschi and tagged up on Kylie Lanteri's fly out to center. 

The Rams righted the wrong in the second. Four walks in a row tied the game at 1-all, before a wild pitch gave Suffolk the go-ahead run. Ally Cifaratta, who walked, went under the tag at home plate on Brandow fly out to left to pad the blue-and-gold's cushion, 3-1.  

Brandow found herself in a bases loaded, no out jam in the bottom of the second. Suffolk's sophomore worked her way back as she sandwiched a pair of swinging strikeouts around an infield fly to keep the two-run advantage in the Rams' favor.  

Salve Regina trimmed the gap down to one in the bottom of the fourth. Bello's single to left center plated Chloe Bean, who walked and stole second, to make it a 3-2 game.    

Suffolk restored the two-run margin in the top of the fifth. A dropped ball by SRU's centerfielder name allowed Brandow to reach third. The Rams pitcher came in on Scripter's single up the middle. Maddie Southers replaced Scripter on the bags, advanced to second on Ella Turnbull's single to second and took third thanks to Catherine Carignan's sac bunt. Lily Gustafson plated the pinch runner on a sac fly to right to lengthen the lead to 5-2.  

A throwing error by the Seahawks catcher Bean allowed Suffolk to tact on a pair of insurance runs in the sixth that extended the Rams edge to 7-2. 

Salve Regina attempted a comeback in the seventh and managed to get one run on the board. Once again Brandow was backed up by her defense though to limit the Seahawks to that lone tally for the 7-3 final decision.  

PITCHERS PICTURE 

• Brandow registered the win. She gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits and four walks with seven strikeouts over 7.0 innings. 
• Caroline Peterson allowed seven runs, three earned, on two hits and nine walks with eight punchouts. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Scripter and Turnbull were responsible for Suffolk's two hits with one each. 
• Scripter, Brandow, Gustafson and O'Neil recorded one RBI each. 
• Cifaratta scored two runs. 
• Southers, Gustafson, Carignan, Brandow and Boci scored one run apiece. 
• Murphy, Carignan and Gustafson swiped one bag each. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk coupled wins over Salve Regina for the first time in program history. 
• The Rams moved to 2-10 all-time against the Seahawks. 
• Suffolk is 2-2 against SRU in the Janet Maguire era. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk is scheduled to take on Simmons in a non-conference double feature Wednesday, April 26.