Marist baseball opened its weekend matchup against MAAC opponent Quinnipiac University at McCann Field. The game featured constant offensive momentum shifts, with constant traffic on the bases; both teams combined for 12 runs, 17 hits, and 11 walks. The Red Foxes capitalized on the momentum best, winning the first game of the series, 7-5.
Graduate student outfielder Nathan Lincoln had a big day at the plate, going 2-4 with three RBI and one run scored. Senior infielder AJ Brotz contributed as well, going 2-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored.
Redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Will Taylor struggled to find his command in the first. Back-to-back singles to left field put runners on for the Bobcats, and a one-out walk would load them up. Taylor let up two runs in the first, courtesy of a plunked batter and a ground ball to first base.
“He wasn’t feeling right,” said head coach Lance Ratchford in reference to Taylor, who only pitched 2.2 innings. “Even when he was warming up in the bullpen, and to start the game, he just wasn’t feeling right and we’re just not gonna take a chance with so much baseball left to play this season.”
The Marist bats picked up Taylor at the bottom of the first inning. A long fly ball to right field, carried by the wind, resulted in a double off the bat of Brotz. Lincoln singled up the middle to drive in Brotz, and Redshirt sophomore catcher Scott Esposito followed up with a hard-hit single to tie the game at 2-2.
The second and third innings saw zeros from both sides as sophomore right-handed pitcher Logan Scholl and senior right-hander James Pazdera both worked quick innings. The Red Foxes broke the scoreless streak with a two-run fourth inning. Brotz singled past the leaping Quinnipiac shortstop, giving Marist their first lead of the game. Quinnipiac got both runs back in the top of the fifth after Marist’s pitching gave the Bobcats plenty of freebies.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Red Foxes found themselves with another opportunity to score. Back-to-back singles set Marist up with runners on first and second with no one out. Freshman outfielder TJ Baer took advantage of the opportunity with an RBI single before Lincoln drove in two more runs to extend the Marist lead to 7-4.
“We had two really big hits by Nate Lincoln, both with two outs. He just came up big, and he came up late,” said Ratchford.
The score remained at 7-4, entering the top of the ninth. Marist turned to redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Andrew Fierro to close out the game. The Bobcats refused to go away quietly as graduate outfielder James Marino doubled off the top of the right field fence and came around to score on a throwing error. Fierro escaped the inning and secured the Marist win.
Marist baseball now aims to continue its success against Quinnipiac in game two tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Photo from Marist Athletics (Michael Lacroix-Fralish)
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