Blowout, nail biter, nail biter blowout.

Oddly enough, any combination of three words can sum up the past week for the Quinnipiac men’s baseball team. Coming into this week on a roll, winning four of five and two in a row, the Bobcats failed to win a game until they played Sacred Heart on Thursday.

Against Monmouth (8-16 6-3 NEC) on Sunday, Bobcat pitchers allowed thirteen runs to Hawks batters. Monmouth pitching was mammoth. Hawks pitchers allowed only three hits, two of which were off the bat of center fielder Keith Avery. The Bobcats were able to reach base six more times on account of walks, but the patience at the plate was offset by Bobcat batters stranding eight runners on base.

In the second game of the double header, Quinnipiac pitcher Buddy Bengel (5 2/3 inn, 6 K) was able to hold Hawks batters scoreless. Mike Spahr got the loss coming out of the bullpen. Once again, Monmouth pitching held Quinnipiac batters to seven hits, and kept them from scoring.

The next day, Monmouth brought their brooms, sweeping the Bobcats in the weekend series. Bobcat bats were more active than they were on Sunday. Led by freshman Bryan Sabatella (3-4, RBI), the Bobcats were able to scratch out three runs against a team that had shut them out the previous two games.

Quinnipiac then traveled to New Jersey to take on Fairleigh Dickenson (6-15, 6-6 NEC), where the Bobcats would hold the lead until the last inning. Knights batters were able to mount a come-from-behind two out rally in the ninth inning, giving the Bobcats their fourth straight loss. Spahr was knocked out after the second inning, allowing five runs and seven hits.

On a brighter note, Senior shortstop Travis LaPointe homered and drove in four runners. Charlie D’Elia had three hits and Bryan Sabatella had two, driving in three runs. The Bobcats were one out away from ending their slide, but with two outs the Knights were able to put runners on and drive them in.

Freshman Patrick Egan (who also plays for the men’s basketball team) threw a four hit shutout against the Pioneers as the Bobcats won, 5-0. Egan struck out four batters en route to his first ever win at the college level. The Rocky Hill native has yet to give up a run all season. The Bobcats scored four runs in the first inning and held the lead the rest of the way. Albert Marano hit a solo home run to left field to lead off the bottom of the fifth, and finished the day with two hits and two runs batted in. Brien Magee, batting in the fourth slot as the DH, also knocked in two runs.

Finally, to round out the week, the Bobcats lost the opening game of a three game set against Mount Saint Mary’s. Costly errors that led to five unearned runs and excellent pitching by the Mount were the cause of the Bobcats’ most recent loss. Quinnipiac batters fanned twelve times and their first hit came in the last inning. Travis LaPointe hit a RBI single, the first and only hit of the Bobcats’ bats, but the late inning rally proved to be futile. The Mount took the first game 7-2.

The Bobcats record now stands at 8-17, but with the win over Sacred Heart, their NEC record improved to 5-8, putting the Bobcats ahead of the Pioneers who are 4-8 in the NEC. Mount Saint Mary’s record is 3-6 in the NEC.