Softball Outlasts Ohio Christian, 7-5

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Suffolk softball grabbed a 7-5 victory over Ohio Christian in a back-and-forth affair Tuesday morning at the DiamondPlex at The Spring Games.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 7 | Ohio Christian 5
RECORDS: Suffolk (4-3) | Ohio Christian (1-6)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
A couple Trailblazer errors put a pair of ducks in the pond for Diana Rucinski, who roped a single to right field to bring the first run in on the day in the top of the second.  

Ohio Christian responded to the Rams run in the home half of the inning with a pair of runs on two hits and two fielding mishaps by the blue-and-gold to grab a 2-1 lead. 

Suffolk made up that ground in the top of the third. Avery Carvalho wore a pitch to get the frame and worked her way around the bags behind a base hit from Lily Newhall followed by a passed ball and wild pitch to even the playing field at 2-all.  

In their next turn at the plate, the Rams grabbed the lead thanks to a heads-up play. Giavanna Bellino led off with a single to right and moved to second on a 13 ground out by Diana Rucinski. Two batters later, Julia Mills put the ball into play towards the Trailblazers short stop, Garcia Mariela went to tag Bellino on her way to third and threw to first for the double play, which Ohio Christian though it turned. The umpire, however, said Bellino was not tagged on her way to third and the freshman coasted home as the visitors headed to their dugout and was called safe at the plate to give the blue-and-gold a 3-2 lead. 

Two hits, one Rams' error, and a hit by pitch allowed Ohio Christian to retake the edge, 4-3, in the bottom of the fourth.  

The back-and-forth action continued and it was Suffolk's turn to leap ahead in the top of the sixth. Catherine Caringnan's single up the middle plated Lily Gustafson, who reached on an error by the Trailblazers' second baseman Lauryn Pate, to lock things at 4-all. Three batters later with the bases chucked, Ava Brandow slugged a single to left field that brought in a pair to send the Rams in front. On that same play, the catcher made a throwing error that allowed Newhall to come in and extend the margin to three, 7-4.   

Ohio Christian managed to trim the gap down two in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a one-run double by Lexi King.  

Zeros were put up on both sides of the board in the seventh to preserve the victory for the Rams.   

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Cynthia Rucinski earned the win behind a three-run, four-hit, two-walk, five-strikeouts in the out effort over 5.0 innings of relief. 
• Newhall started and gave up two unearned runs on three hits and one walk in the first 2.0 frames. 
• Emma Hasting took the loss. She allowed seven runs, one earned, on nine hits and four walks with four strikeouts in the complete-game effort.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Newhall went 3-for-5 at the plate with one run scored. 
• Carignan chipped in two hits, one RBI and one run scored. 
• Brandow logged two RBI, one hit, one run and one sac. 
• Carvalho contributed two runs and two walks. 
• Bellino knocked two hits, scored one run and stole one base. 
• Diana Rucinski recorded one hit and one RBI. 
• Gustafson added one run.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk met Ohio Christian for the first time. 
• Carignan has recorded at least one hit in all seven games this season. 
• Newhall had a career-high three hits. 
• Bellino produced her first collegiate hits  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk wraps up its fourth play day at The Spring Games this afternoon against Northwestern (Minn).