HAMDEN — The Quinnipiac Bobcats and Niagara Purple Eagles played their final game of a three-game series on Saturday, April 4, with Quinnipiac winning 4-3. This game was a “must-win” for the Bobcats and the tempo was set from the start.
Sophomore pitcher Sam Wright got the nod for the game and got into a groove early, giving up only two hits and one run in the first five innings.
“Sam was great today,” Quinnipiac head coach John Delaney remarked. “He didn’t have to pitch in a lot of stressful situations.”
The defense behind Wright was some of the best Quinnipiac has had all year. Freshman infielder Peyton Vancas had a couple of tremendous plays at third, keeping the Purple Eagles at bay and saving a couple of runs in the process.
The Bobcats caused traffic on the base path early with two singles and two walks in the first two innings. With the early pressure, the Bobcats forced an error as graduate student outfielder Brendan Edvardsen scored on a wild throw giving the Bobcats an early lead. The fifth inning is where Quinnipiac really got going, scoring three of its four runs.
Senior infielder Christian Smith and junior designated hitter Jack Balcer were at first and second when senior infielder Alex Irizarry blazed the ball down the right field line, scoring Smith.
Graduate student outfielder James Marino was intentionally walked to get the bases loaded in hopes of a double play for the Purple Eagles. It did not go to plan as senior pitcher Johnny Montgomery gave up an RBI single to Vancas, then a four-pitch walk to sophomore catcher Cole Constable, making it a 4-1 Quinnipiac lead.
After being left out of the lineup on Friday’s matchup, Vancas had himself a game with the aforementioned defensive effort and now an RBI.
“He’s made a couple of really good plays all weekend and really all year,” Irizarry said. “It’s gonna be at least two bags if it gets passed, then being able to get up and throw the ball, I think it was awesome.”
The play Irizarry mentioned was in the seventh inning, where first and second were occupied by Purple Eagle baserunners with only one out.
Senior infielder Curtis McKay blazed a ball down the third base line where Vancas dove to block the ball, got up and stepped on second, then fired across the diamond to first, getting a pivotal double play.
As the bullpen got more involved, the Bobcat lead began to falter. Senior pitcher Mike Poncini walked the bases loaded with no outs, leaving senior pitcher Matt Alduino to get the Bobcats out of the inning with their lead intact.
The Purple Eagles were at the top of the order hoping to do some damage, where they got two groundout RBI’s to cut the Bobcat lead to a dangerous single run.
Junior outfielder Noah Konings and Alduino were in a race to first for the final out, where Konings dove headfirst for every possible inch. The outstretched arms of the umpire gave Niagara another chance to level the score, but Alduino and Smith put their hands to their ears, signalling a challenge.
After a minute of deliberation, the call was overturned as the Quinnipiac bench erupted in celebration. Another pivotal challenge and moment fell into the Bobcats’ favor.
“I can’t tell you how much we practiced that play. That’s a staple of every traditional baseball program, the PFP, the lefty going around, and we needed it.” Irizarry said.
Despite more baserunners in the eighth, Quinnipiac couldn’t put more on the board as the ninth inning began.
A strikeout and a flyout started the inning for Alduino as the Bobcats were one out away from a must-win matchup. McKay was then able to work Alduino and earned himself a walk representing the tying run.
Junior catcher Jason Green stepped up to the plate and launched a ball deep down the left field line as Marino took an extra second to track it.
Marino quickly made his way into foul territory near the warning track and got the final out of the game, solidifying the Quinnipiac win.
The Bobcats improve to 13-16 as they have a long road trip ahead of them, not playing in Hamden until mid-April. Quinnipiac’s next game is against the University of Rhode Island Wednesday, April 8, in Kingston, Rhode Island. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
