BOSTON – Diana Rucinski wore the hero cap in the bottom of the seventh as the senior outfielder's one-run double broke a 1-all tie in the bottom of the seventh to send Suffolk softball past Roger Williams, 2-1, in game two of a Conference of New England (CNE) double feature Friday at Carr Diamond.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2 | Roger Williams 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (12-13, 6-3 CNE) | Roger Williams (18-10, 9-3 CNE)
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a back-and-forth pitcher's duel with neither team able to figure out the twirler in the circle.
Roger Williams looked to have the best chance in the top of the fourth. An error by Cynthia Rucinski allowed Caroline Thomas to reach and she quickly stole second. Lily Newhall gloved a pop up at first for the first out, but Kayleigh O'Connor laced a single through the left side to advance Thomas to third. Cynthia Rucinski kept the runner there as she sat Jamie Wells down swinging and Newhall backed up her pitcher with her second putout of the inning at first to keep the Hawks of the board.
Defense turned into offense for the blue-and-gold bats in the home half of the fourth. With two outs, Julia Mills singled to short and advanced to second on an overthrow by RWU's short Shannon Starratt. A ground-rule double off Newhall's bat brought in Mills to give the Rams a 1-0 lead.
Roger Williams threatened again the top of the fifth thanks to back-to-back one-out base hits. Head-up defense at the hot corner kept the visitors scoreless. First, Lily Gustafson flipped the ball to Avery Carvalho for a successful fielder's choice, before Carvalho converted a routine ground out to third for the last out of the inning.
Things stayed that way until the top of the seventh when Roger Williams made its move. With one out, Lucy Maurao barreled a screamer down the third base line and found her way on third. Starratt lined out back to Cynthia Rucinski for the second out of the stanza. Vianna Chamberlin came up big for the RWU as she tapped a single to center to bring in the tying run. Cynthia Rucinski helped herself with a ground out to the pitcher to keep the damage at one.
Newhall knocked a double to center field to get the bottom of the seventh underway. The next two Rams batters attempt to move her over, but were unable to get the bundt down. Diana Rucinski called game as she roped a double to left center to trade places with Newhall for the game-winning run.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Cynthia Rucinski put together a one-run, eight-hit, two-walk, three-strikeout, complete-game win.
- Keira Quadros took the loss, her first CNE setback of the season. She gave up two runs, one earned, on seven hits and sat down four batters.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Diana Rucinski's lone hit of the game, a double, was the most important as it brought in the game-winning run.
- Newhall went 2-for-3 at the dish with both of her hits good for two bases to go along with one RBI and one run.
- Gustafson also went 2-for-3.
- Mills tallied one hit and one run.
- Brandow added one hit.
NOTEWORTHY
- The Rams snapped a four-game skid versus the Hawks.
- Suffolk moved to 9-10 all-time against Roger Williams.
- Suffolk bested RWU for the first time since April 2, 2023.
- The win was the first for Suffolk against RWU under Megan Cook's guidance.
- The Rams are now 1-4 versus the Hawks in the Cook era.
- Newhall matched a career-high two doubles.
- Diana Rucinski produced the second double of her career.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk is back in action Wednesday, April 23 at Hartford.
