BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The visiting Suffolk University baseball team outlasted Bridgewater State University, 12-9, on Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Park.
The Rams improve to 14-10 on the season, while the Bears fall to 14-7. Suffolk now holds a 12-9-1 lead in the all-time series which dates back to 1991 including a 12-2-1 mark at Alumni Park.
Freshman designated hitter Harry Painter (Essex, Mass.) went 4-for-4 with his team leading ninth home run of the season to lead the Rams' 16-hit attack. Painter also doubled twice, walked, scored three runs and drove in two as he was a triple shy of the cycle.
Graduate third baseman Christian Seariac (Framingham, Mass.) also reached safely five times for the visitors as he went 3-for-4 with a pair of walks, two runs and two RBI. Sophomore second baseman Garrett Roberts (Stratham, N.H.) was 2-for-5 at the plate with a double, a walk, a stolen bases, two runs and two RBI, while junior right fielder Luke Harder (Liverpool, N.Y.) went 2-for-5 with a double, a run and two RBI to round out the Rams' multiple hit producers.
Sophomore designated hitter Kyle Suraci (Clinton, Conn.) and sophomore centerfielder Shane Foley (East Bridgewater, Mass.) collected three hits apiece to pace the Bears' 12-hit attack. Suraci went 3-for-5 and scored two runs, while Foley registered three hits in four at bats, walked, stole a base, scored two runs and knocked in two.
Suffolk sent eight batters to the plate and pushed across four runs in the top of the first inning. Back-to-back walks to Roberts and Seariac followed by a wild pitch put runners on second and third with nobody out. Sophomore centerfielder Joe Ward (Saugus, Mass.) got the Rams on the board with a sacrifice fly, while Painter and Harder connected for RBI doubles in the frame and senior Blase Cormier (Wayland, Mass.) added an RBI single.
Painter blasted a sole shot over the left field fence in the top of the third to extend the Suffolk lead to 5-0.
Suffolk tacked on another run in the fourth as sophomore shortstop Jonny Gilbride (Beverly, Mass.) was hit by a pitch, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Seariac's RBI single.
The Bears cut the deficit in half with a three-run third inning. Back-to-back singles by junior third baseman Joey Molis (Cumberland, R.I.) and Suraci followed by a wild pitch put runners on second and third with nobody out. After an out, Foley got Bridgewater on the board with a two-run single to left. Foley would later come around to score on a wild pitch.
The Bears pulled to within 6-5 with a pair of runs in the home half of the fifth. Three consecutive base hits by Suraci, sophomore catcher Mathew Pigeon (Canton, Mass.) and Foley loaded the bases with one out. Sophomore shortstop Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) plated Suraci with a sacrifice fly and Pigeon would score on a throwing error when Foley got caught up between first and second on an attempted steal.
Suffolk answered with a five-run sixth inning to make it an 11-5 game. An RBI double by Roberts and RBI singles off the bats of Seariac, Ward and Harder accounted for the scoring in the frame.
The Rams tacked on a run in the eighth to extend the lead to 12-5. Painter doubled to lead off the inning moved to third on base hit by senior left fielder Marc Birbiglia (Saint James, N.Y.) and scored on a double play groundout.
The Bears rallied for four runs over the final two innings to make things interesting.
Lindsay and freshman second baseman Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) worked back-to-back walks to lead off the eighth and would later come around to score on back-to-back RBI ground outs by sophomore right fielder Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) and junior first baseman Dan Saraceno (Mansfield, Mass.).
In the ninth, a two-run double by Emerson cut the deficit to 12-9 and brough the tying run to the plate. Senior righthander Steven Rossi (Corning, N.Y.) came on in relief for the Rams and ended the game with a strikeout to record his second save of the season.
Emerson and Molis also finished with multiple hits for Bridgewater State. Emerson went 2-for-5 with a walk, a double, a run and two RBI. Molis, who extended his hitting streak to eight games, singled twice in five at bats and scored two runs.
The Bears left 11 runs on base in the contest while the Rams stranded eight.
Suffolk used seven pitchers on the afternoon with graduate left fielder Michael James Jr. (Norwood, Mass.) picking up the win in relief.
Both teams are back in action on Wednesday afternoon. The Bears entertain Gordon College at three o'clock, while the Rams travel to Wheaton College for a four o'clock game with the Lyons.