SALEM, Mass. – Suffolk softball started a two-game series at Salem State in the win column as it took down the Vikings, 3-1, Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Field.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Salem State 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (6-16) | Salem State (9-20)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk tacked one run on the board in the first. With two outs, Ava Brandow and Savannah Scripter both walked to put a pair of ducks in the pond for Ira Boci, who brought in the first run of the day with a single to left.  

The Vikings tied things up in the home half of the inning. Like the Rams, Salem State put together a two-out rally with a base on balls followed by a passed ball and a RBI single by Dawn Eisnor.  

Things remained locked at 1-all until the top of the fourth. Boci wore a pitch to reach first, stole second and advanced to third on a productive 6-3 ground out by Ella Turnbull. A pitch got away from SSU's backstop Maddison Donovan and Boci read the play right as she sprinted home to push the Rams in front, 2-1.  

Salem State stranded a runner in the next two innings before Suffolk padded its advantage in the sixth. With Rams in the corners, Lily Gustafson doubled to extend the Rams edge to 3-1.  

Ashlyn Conley took over the circle for Turnbull and had a 3-up, 3-down inning to keep the two-run lead in Suffolk's favor as the game headed to the seventh.  

The Rams were unable to add any more insurance in the top of the inning, which kept Ram Nation on the edge of their seats in the bottom of the frame as Salem State stuffed the bags with no outs. A critical swinging strikeout kept the Vikings were they were before the blue-and-gold's defense turned a 8-4 double play to lock up the win.  

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Turnbull logged the win with a one-run, one-hit, five-walk, five-strikeout effort over 4.1 innings. 
• Conley registered a save with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief. She allowed just one hit and one walk and had a crucial K. 
• Katherine Quigley suffered the setback for Salem State after giving up three runs, two earned, on six hits and two walks with one punchout in 5.0 innings. 
• Hailey Langenfeld and Janeishelly Morales each shoved 1.0 inning out of the pen for the Vikings. Both gave up just one hit in their relief efforts. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Catherine Carignan went 2-for-3 with one run scored. 
• Gustafson brought in one run on her lone hit, a double. 
• Brandow logged one hit, one run and one walk. 
• Boci tallied one hit, one RBI, one run and one stolen base.
• Turnbull and Ally Cifaratta added one hit each. 

NOTEWORHTY

• Suffolk met Salem State for the first time since March 25, 2017. 
• The Rams won two games in a row versus the Vikings to move to 6-1 since 2015 against SSU. 
• Carignan matched a career-high two hits. 
• Turnbull locked up her second win of the season. 
• Conley racked up her second save of the year. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk concludes the twinbill at Salem State under the lights tonight.