Softball Secures Nightcap at Hartford, 8-2

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Thanks to a three-run bomb by Ava Brandow in the first, Suffolk softball used that early lead for momentum to take down Hartford, 8-2, in game two of a Conference of New England twinbill Wednesday.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 8 | Hartford 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (13-14, 7-4 CNE) | Hartford (16-14-1, 7-6-1 CNE) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
A three-run dinger by Brandow in the first frame pushed Suffolk to an early 3-0 lead. The senior right fielder brought in Catherine Carignan and Lily Gustafson, who singled and doubled.  

Two innings later, the Rams lengthened their lead to 7-0. Ella Turnbull laced a single to right center and Giavanna Bellino took her spots on the bag before Julia Mills singled down the right field line. An error by the Hawks' right fielder on the play allowed Bellino to plate and Mills take second. Another base hit, this time off Lily Newhall's bat, followed by a Hartford error, allowed Mills to come in. Newhall then crossed home on Jolie Quintana's single to center field. The scoring did not stop there as Diana Rucinski barreled a base hit to center and for the third time in the inning the Hawks fumbled the ball, which allowed the fourth run of the frame score.  

Hartford managed to get on the board in the home half of the inning. Back-to-back singles and a productive ground out to second put Hawks on second in third in time for Olivia Wolk to collect a RBI on a sac fly to right that trimmed Suffolk's cushion to six, 7-1.  

Suffolk restored its seven-point advantage in the top of the sixth. Carignan singled down the right field line and used Brandow's double to right center to give the Rams an 8-1 cushion. 

The Hawks managed to tack on one more run in the seventh for the 8-2 final. Azya Walker opened the inning with a double down the left field line, moved to third on Wolk's ground out to second and came thanks to Ella Zobel's single to center.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Lily Newhall threw a two-run, six-hit, four-walk, one-strikeout complete-game. 
• Carly Mayhood took the loss as she gave up seven runs, three earned, on 10 hits over 2.2 innings. She fanned three batters as well. 
• Zobel put together a one-run, four-hit, five-strikeout effort over 4.1 innings of relief.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Brandow went 2-for-4 at the dish with a homer and double for four RBI and one run scored.
• Newhall put together a 3-for-4 effort at the plate with one run scored. 
• Carignan contributed a 2-for-4 performance as well with two runs. 
• Quintana went 2-for-4 with one double, one RBI and one run. 
• Diana Rucinski provided a 2-for-3 effort. 
• Gustafson and Mills both notched one hit and one run. 
• Turnbull tallied one hit. 
• Bellino scored one run.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk is now 2-2 versus Hartford all-time, in a series that started last season. 
• The Rams played at Hartford for the first time. 
• The six-run margin of victory is the largest for Suffolk over Hartford in the all-time series. 
• Brandow hit her first homer of the year, sixth of her collegiate career.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk has back-to-back doubleheaders this weekend against Nichols and Wentworth. The Rams will host the Bison Saturday, April 26 before visiting the Leopards Sunday, April 27. Both contests have a 12:00 p.m. first pitch.