The Quinnipiac Bobcats baseball team fell to Army 16-3 last Tuesday. Starter Todd DeFrancesco was charged with six earned runs in 3 2-3 innings, while relievers Kyle Birdsall and Joe Cesarini each gave up five apiece. At 3-12, the Bobcats needed a boost.
The starting pitchers in the team’s next three games provided that boost.
In a weekend that consisted of a game against Binghamton and a doubleheader against Vermont (Sunday’s game against Hartford was rained out), the Bobcats only gave up three earned runs, winning all three, to improve to 6-12 on the season.
Gloor pitches past Bearcats
Senior Chris Gloor started for the Bobcats against Binghamton on Friday, and was dominant. The southpaw struck out 10 Bearcats over eight innings of one-run ball in the Bobcats’ 4-1 victory. He gave up seven hits and walked none. This performance came a start after Gloor pitched a complete game at Holy Cross, striking out 13 and allowing three earned runs. Gloor’s record now stands at 2-3 on the year.
The game was scoreless for the first three-and-a-half innings. However, with one out in the bottom of the fourth, senior catcher Mike Marmo hit his first home run of the season over the left-field wall.
The score remained that way until the top of the sixth when the Bearcats were able to even the score. Second baseman Jim Calderone singled to score C.J. Lukaszewski.
The Bobcats broke the tie in the bottom of the eighth when pinch-hitter Jeff Carino drove in Marmo with a single up the middle. Sophomore Joe Poletsky followed with a two-run triple to extend the lead to 4-1.
Senior Michael Oskandy struck out two Bearcats in the top of the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Monack’s bomb beats Mounts
Senior right-hander Andy Mayer followed Gloor’s lead the next afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader against Vermont. Mayer pitched six of the game’s seven innings, striking out five, walking one and allowing two earned runs. With the win, he improved his personal record to 2-2.
The Bobcats attacked Catamount starter Justin Albert from the very beginning. The first six Bobcats reached base in the first inning, but they were only able to score three runs on a Brian Monack three-run home run. Following the home run, there were two walks, two strikeouts and a groundout to end the threat.
That would be all Mayer would need, as he only gave up two runs in the fifth inning – catcher Mike McCarthy homered to lead off the inning and right fielder Corey Moylan hit an RBI groundout.
Quinnipiac added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Third baseman Bryn Doyle hit a one-out single to right, followed by a walk to Poletsky and a single by first baseman Tyler Turgeon to load the bases. After a strikeout, second baseman Chris Migani drew a walk that forced in Doyle to give the Bobcats the lead.
Oskandy struck out two in the seventh to close the door once again.
Duffy’s gem surges Bobcats on
Senior Joe Duffy was next in line for the Bobcats and was relatively spotless. His only blemishes were three hits and two walks allowed. He pitched a complete game shutout, striking out seven, as the Bobcats beat Vermont 5-0 to sweep last Saturday’s doubleheader.
Quinnipiac got on top 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs, Doyle singled to left. He was then brought home on an RBI double by Poletsky. He was then driven in by first baseman Gabe Guerino’s single to left-center.
The Bobcats added three more runs three innings later. Left fielder Ben Farino hit a two-out double to right-center and then scored on Migani’s double to center. Shortstop Mickey Amanti kept the line moving with an RBI triple to center. Monack then hit an RBI single to extend the lead to 5-0.
Monack went 3-for-6 with four RBI in the two games against Vermont.
The Bobcats face rival Yale this afternoon at Yale Field at 3 p.m.