Softball Walks Off Halted Game in Extras at Endicott, 7-6

BEVERLY, Mass. – Suffolk softball resumed its suspended game with Endicott in dramatic fashion as the Rams won the Conference of New England (CNE) clash in walk-off fashion in the eighth-inning Thursday afternoon at the Gulls' Softball Complex. 

The winning run came behind a one-run base hit off Catherine Carignan's bat.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 7 | Endicott 6
RECORDS: Suffolk (16-18, 10-6 CNE) | Endicott (19-13, 12-4 CNE)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Action picked up where it left off 16 days prior with the Rams up three in the middle of the fourth.  

After some defensive changes, including a switch in the circle for the Gulls, Suffolk extended its edge in the home half of the fourth. Carignan, who reached on a fielder's choice, moved into scoring position behind Lily Gustafson's single up the middle and scored thanks to Jolie Quintana's base hit to left to give the blue-and-gold a 4-0 cushion. 

Endicott got the deficit down to one in the top of the fifth. A single followed by back-to-back walks filled the bases before Mia Mitchell's double to right brought two runs in. A sac fly by Chloe Shapleigh followed to make it a one-run game, 4-3.  

The Gulls flew in front in the top of the third thanks to a three-run jack off Abby McClaflin's bat.  

Quintana came up big for Suffolk in the bottom of the sixth as she slugged a two-run double to left to even the playing field at 6-all. The senior catcher plated Carignan and Gustafson, who both got on base thanks to base hits.  

A scoreless seventh sent the game two extras. Endicott's lead-off batter Ella Tower got the bunt down to push the ghost runner into prime scoring position. Cynthia Rucinski helped herself as she converted a ground out to the pitcher for the second out of the stanza, but she hit the next batter to put runners in the corners. Lily Newhall kept Endicott scoreless with an unassisted ground out to first to set-up the walk-off opportunity. 

Like the Gulls, Avery Carvalho managed to put the bunt down for Suffolk to push Ava Brandow to third. With two outs, Carignan roped a single down the left field line to send the Rams to victory.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Cynthia Rucinski recorded the win behind 2.1 innings of scoreless relief with one hit allowed. 
• Newhall put together a six-run, seven-hit, three-walk, seven-strikeout effort over 5.2 frames.
• Analise Grady took the setback as she let up one run on one hit in 1.2 innings of work with one strikeout to her credit. 
• Kristen Beebe (2.2 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 5 BB, 2 K), Hadley Marchand (0.1 IP), Jaylin Couto (3.0 IP, 3 R, 7 H) all saw time in the circle for Endicott. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Gustafson went 3-for-4 with two runs, one RBI and one stolen base.
• Carignan notched two hits, two runs and one RBI. 
• Quintana produced two hits, including one double, and three RBI. 
• Mills brought in two runs on one hit. 
• Diana Rucinski registered one hit, one run, one walk and one stolen base. 
• Ella Turnbull added one hit. 
• Carvalho chipped in one run, one walk, one sac and one stolen base. 
• Brandow scored one run.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk snapped a two-game skid against Endicott. 
• The Rams moved to 8-16 all-time versus the Gulls. 
• Seven of the Rams' eight win over the Gulls have come on the road, 7-12. 
• Suffolk and Endicott needed extra innings to determine a winner for the first time since April 7, 2021. 
• The Rams are undefeated in extra innings against the Gulls, 2-0. 
• Suffolk went to extra innings for the first time this season and first time since May 7, 2024 versus Nichols, a 7-6, 10-inning setback. 
• The Rams won their first extra-inning game since March 15, 2024, a 7-6, eight-inning win at the University of New England. 
• Suffolk is now 4-2 in extra innings under Megan Cook's guidance. 
• Suffolk moved to 2-2 versus Endicott in the Cook era. 
• Gustafson matched a personal-best three hits.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk concludes the regular-season this Saturday, May 3 in doubleheader at Western New England.