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Box Score 2 NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University baseball team hosted Suffolk University in its home opener on Saturday afternoon at Garrity Field.
The Rams swept the Cadets with a 3-1 win in game one and an 11-2 final in game two of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference twinbill.
In game one, the Rams took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning and added a run in the third and one in the fourth for a 3-0 lead.
Norwich got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning and senior first baseman Ed Gates (Griswold, Conn.) lifted a solo home run over the right field fence to cut the lead to 3-1.
Suffolk held on as Norwich rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning after junior pinch-hitter Jacob Barlow (Newburyport, Mass.) ripped a two-out triple to right field. The Cadets stranded the tying run at the plate and took the loss in their first home contest of the season
Junior Jake Ryan (Arlington, Mass.) tossed another complete game for Norwich, allowing just three runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks in seven innings of work. He fanned for batters and falls to 0-6 on the season. Gates led the Norwich offense with two hits on the game.
In game two, Suffolk broke open a scoreless game with three runs in the top of the third for a 3-0 lead. The Rams added two in the top of the fifth and one in the top of the sixth for a 6-0 lead before the Cadet bats came to life.
In the bottom of the sixth sophomore left fielder Brady Doherty (Sandwich, Mass.) hit an RBI single to right field that plated junior second baseman Mike Lesco (Somers, Conn.) to cut the lead to 6-1. Senior pinch-hitter Drew Caldwell (Hanover, Mass.) then delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Gates to make it 6-2. This is as close as the Cadets would come as Suffolk plated five runs in the top of the seventh for the 11-2 final.
Sophomore Andrew Fisher (Tewksbury, Mass.) took the loss for Norwich to fall to 0-3 on the season. He allowed six earned runs on 11 hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out five batters.
The Cadets now stand at 2-19 overall and 2-4 in conference play while the Rams are 15-15 and 9-1 in the GNAC. Norwich is next in action Sunday, April 22nd for another GNAC home doubleheader as Albertus Magnus College makes the trip to Northfield. Those games are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
