Skidmore Stops Softball in Extras, 10-9

CLERMONT, Fla. – In a back-and-forth affair, Suffolk softball came out on the wrong side of a 10-9, eight-inning decision to Skidmore Wednesday morning at Hancock Park at The Spring Games. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 9 | Skidmore 10
RECORDS: Suffolk (5-4) | Skidmore (3-2)  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Skidmore scored first in the bottom of the third. Lulu Mickle singled and stole second. Elle Harrison then worked a one out walk and a double steal put Thoroughbreds on second and third. Nate Burley's sacrificed herself to center to take a 1-0 lead. 
• The Rams responded in the top of the fourth. Julia Mills singled and swiped second to put a runner in scoring position in time of Catherine Carignan, who traded places with Mills on a double down the left field line to lock things at 1-all. Two outs later and Carignan on third behind a Thoroughbreds' error put Carignan on third in time for a perfectly placed base hit by Giavanna Bellino just inside the fair right field line to give the blue-and-gold the go-ahead, 2-1. 
• Suffolk lengthened its lead in the top of the fifth and extra base hits factored into the scoring once again. Ava Lanza laced a single to center and put on her running shoes when Lily Newhall doubled to left center to turn it into a 3-1 margin. 
• The Thoroughbreds threatened in the top of the sixth. With the bases loaded Delaney Swain barreled a double on the right field line that easily brought in two runs and Natalie Mayne, who singled, came home as well and beat the throw at the plate to give Skidmore the lead again. A double by Sophia Finch added insurance as she scored Swain to put the Rams in a 5-3 hole as the game headed to the top of the seventh. 
• The Rams rallied back in the top of the seventh. Back-to-back base hits by pinch hitter Abby Barnaby and catcher Jolie Quintana put a pair of ducks in the pond, both of whom moved over on a wild pitch. Lanza brought in Barnby to chip to gap to one. Newhall put a sac bunt down to advance the runners into better scoring position, which brought up Mills. The junior filled the count and sent a foul ball over the left field fence and on the next pitch she straightened it out and the ball left the park again, this time in fair territory to give Suffolk a 7-5 edge. 
• Skidmore made things interesting in the home half of the seventh as it filled the bags with a single, walk and hit by pitch. A four-pitch walk, followed by a full-count walk evened the game at 7-all, to force extras.
• Suffolk made up those two runs in the top of the eighth. Kendal Heyman bunted for a base hit to move the ghost runner to third. Dana Still's fly ball to left scored the go-ahead runner and Heyman landed on third. The freshman was waiting for the prime opportunity to come in and it came when Lanza pushed the ball into play. She got into a run down and slid under the tag at home to pad the margin to a pair, 9-7. 
• The flair for the dramatic carried into the bottom of the eight as the Thoroughbreds got two runners in scoring position. Like Suffolk, the first came in on a sac fly to left Déjà vu stopped from there as Burley doubled to bring in the tying run, before Mayne sent a single up the middle to send Skidmore to the 10-9 victory.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Cynthia Rucinski went the distance. She faced 40 batters and three 153 pitches 60.1 percent strikes in 7.2 innings. Her line finished at 10 runs allowed, nine earned, on 11 hits and five walks with seven strikeouts. 
• Shayne Cleeve earned the decision with two runs allowed, one earned, on two hits and one punchout in 1.2 innings out of the pen. 
• Skidmore's starter Mallory Allen let up seven runs on 11 hits and one walk with one K through 6.1 frames of work. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Mills had a productive day at the play with a 2-for-3 performance that included one bomb for three RBI and two runs scored with one walk. 
• Carignan contributed two hits, both doubles, with one RBI and one run scored. 
• Newhall notched one hit, a double, and one RBI. 
• Quintana added two hits and one run. 
• Lanza pitched in two hits, two RBI and two runs scored. 
• Barnaby's bat came up big late with as she went 1-for-1 and scored once. 
• Heyman tallied one hit, one run and one stolen base. 
• Bellino brought in one run on one hit. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk met Skidmore for the third time in program history, first since March 11, 2020.
• All three matches between Suffolk and Skidmore have taken place on a neutral diamond.
• The Rams moved to 1-2 all-time against the Thoroughbreds.
• Suffolk played its second extra inning game of the season. 
• The Rams are 1-1 this year when a game has exceeded seven innings. 
• Quintana pushed her hit streak to four games. In that stretch she has five hits. 
• Mills knocked her second collegiate homer, first since April 2, 2024. 
• Mills extended her hit streak to six games. The right-handed batter has 11 hits over that span and tied a career-high three RBI. 
• Lanza matched a career-high three hits and scored a personal-best two runs. 
• Newhall has logged one hit in the last three games. 
• Carignan (3 hits) and Barnaby (2 hits) have hit in back-to-back games. 
• Heyman had her first collegiate hit. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk wraps up its third play day at The Spring Games this afternoon against Juniata.