WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. – Marist baseball defeated Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) 4-3 in a midweek non-conference showdown at Heritage Financial Park, thanks to a ninth-inning comeback capped by a walk-off single from junior catcher Kyle Pollack. Marist trailed the entire game, as they only mustered four hits in the first eight innings and stranded runners in scoring position throughout the contest.
Nonetheless, the Red Foxes came through when it mattered most; manufacturing three runs in the ninth inning to secure the team’s fourth consecutive win. Ultimately, Pollack played hero, as he dunked a walk-off RBI single into right field, prevailing the Red Foxes to victory.
Marist opted to go with a bullpen game, successfully deploying seven different pitchers over the course of the ballgame. They executed the strategy, as they only allowed four hits and kept their team in the game long enough for the offense to eventually come through.
“We feel like we are one or two more good bullpen arms away and we are still trying to search for it,” said head coach Lance Ratchford. “Today was one of those days where we got a lot of guys out there to see where they were at.”
FDU entered the contest just 2-18, looking to snap a six-game losing streak; the Knights owned the fourth-worst batting average (.237) and slugging percentage (.335) in the Northeast Conference. They have had similar woes on the mound, possessing the fifth-worst team ERA in the conference (9.08) and the fourth-worst batting average against (.330).
Junior right-handed pitcher Caleb Kempler got his first start of the season for the Red Foxes. Kempler has enjoyed success out of the bullpen in the early going, pitching to the tune of a 2.87 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched, while racking up 21 strikeouts. Kempler served as the opener and set down the Knights in order.
In the bottom of the frame, freshman southpaw James Vlastaris struck out junior infielder/outfielder AJ Brotz to start the game, but promptly followed that up with back-to-back walks to senior infielder/outfielder Nathan Lincoln and graduate student outfielder Jason Claiborn. The Red Foxes appeared to be in business, but graduate student infielder Zach Donahue wrapped into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
In the bottom of the second, Marist found themselves in another potential run-scoring situation. Back-to-back singles from junior infielder Brady Steinert and Pollack set the Red Foxes up with runners on first and second with nobody out, but Vlastaris navigated his way through the inning unscathed.
he Knights struck first against Marist’s third pitcher in as many innings, freshman left-hander Cody Heselton. Freshman outfielder Travis Stroh uncorked a booming one-out double to left field, then proceeded to steal third and scamper home on a wild pitch, giving FDU a 1-0 lead.
The Red Foxes loaded the bases on two walks and an error by FDU third baseman Diego Urreta, which chased Vlastaris from the game in the bottom of the fourth. With the Red Foxes looking to break through with runners in scoring position, graduate student right-hander Ian Barrett got Brotz to fly out to center field, slamming the door on another run-scoring opportunity.
Senior left-hander John Hacker entered to start the top of the fifth, but a walk and a single by sophomore outfielder Jimmy Mantuano prompted Ratchford to make another call to the bullpen. Senior right-handed pitcher Ty Morris allowed both inherited runners to score on a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout, putting the Red Foxes in a 3-0 deficit.
The Knights removed Barrett after 2.1 scoreless innings in favor of senior left-hander Brian Yadlon, who proceeded to walk the first two batters of the bottom of the seventh. A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third, and then Lincoln lined a sacrifice fly to right, bringing home the first run of the game for Marist. One batter later, Yadlon walked Claiborn – his third free pass issued of the inning – to put runners on first and second with one out, but a Donahue strikeout and a Steinert flyout ended the frame.
Sophomore left-hander Andrew Speranza pitched two scoreless innings and was sent back out in the ninth to hold the 3-1 deficit. His command faltered, as the southpaw plunked the first hitter of the inning and fell behind in the count 2-0 to the ensuing batter. As a result, Speranza was lifted for junior right-hander Jake Burt in the middle of the at-bat and escaped the inning without giving up a run.
“I think if they score that fourth run we don’t win in the ninth,” said Ratchford. “They were just trying to push across one more to get an extended lead on us and he [Burt] came in and was lights out.”
With one out in the ninth, Lincoln reached on an infield single to the shortstop and Claiborn worked another walk, his third of the game. FDU opted to go to the bullpen, bringing in junior left-hander Jordan Savinon to try and secure the team’s third victory of the season.
On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Donahue ripped an RBI double down the left field line to bring the Red Foxes within one, with the red-hot Steinert due up next. Like Donahue, Steinert fouled off some tough pitches and popped one into short right field. The second baseman, junior J.R. Bozek appeared to be camped underneath the pop-up, but the ball bounced out of his glove, allowing Claiborn to sprint home and tie the game.
“[Donahue] was on third and he has good speed, so I was looking to hit something hard in the outfield and try and keep it out of the infield,” said Pollack.
Pollack did just that, blooping a walk-off RBI single into right field, winning the game for the Red Foxes.
Marist is back in action on Friday when they travel to Quinnipiac for a three-game series. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Graphic by Quinn DiFiore
Photo from Marist Athletics
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