( HAMDEN, Conn.) – The Quinnipiac Bobcats pulled ahead 6-0, and held on late for a wild and thrilling 11-10 win over Long Island University on Sunday afternoon.

Catcher Kyle Nisson went 2 for 5 in the game with three runs batted in and reliever Andrew Rinaldi pitched the last 3 1-3 innings for the save.

Quinnipiac won three games in the weekend series as the Bobcats showed their toughness and resiliency in securing the final contest.

“We battled the entire game,” said Quinnipiac centerfielder Brian Monack. “We kept our heads up and kept battling for the better of the two sides.”

Freshman Alex Russow started for Quinnipiac and found himself in trouble as he loaded the bases with one out. The pitcher retired Chris Kievit on a flyout and then faced shortstop Drew Walsh with a chance of getting out of the inning.

With the count 2-2, Russow threw a pitch inside that hit Walsh who went around halfway on the swing. Chaos ensued thereafter as Walsh wanted to take first base while Russow claimed that the hitter swung. The umpires conversed and ruled it a strikeout as Russow stranded all three runners.

Quinnipiac catcher Kyle Nisson singled home the first run of the game in the second inning and the Bobcats followed that up with a five-run third inning to take a commanding lead. The Bobcats batted around against Blackbird starter Chris Franzese as Brian Monack delivered with a two-run single to left field. Joe Poletsky and Gabe Guerino added RBI base-hits later in the inning as well as Quinnipiac surged ahead 6-0.

“I thought we were pretty good getting out in front,” said Quinnipiac head coach Dan Gooley. “The horse came out of the track first and we got out in front.”

Russow extended his scoreless streak to 18 innings as he shutdown Long Island over the first three innings. The Blackbirds wouldn’t stay quiet for long as Long Island rallied for four runs. Julian Castro snapped Russow’s streak with a three-run double to right field as the Blackbirds now trailed 6-4.

Quinnipiac stormed on back for another three runs in the bottom of the inning against two separate relievers. Emerson Morillo started the inning but after a four-pitch walk and a hit by pitch, the right-hander was taken out of the game. Lefty Paul Lopez came in to finish the inning but allowed a two-run infield single to Gabe Guerino as the Bobcats re-gained a five run lead.

Both teams went scoreless in the fifth inning as Alex Russow finished his outing. The pitcher allowed four runs on the afternoon. Long Island stuck around and mounted another comeback against reliever Kevin Castodio.

The Blackbirds added another four runs in the sixth inning and closed the gap to just one run. Albert Faz hit a double to deep right field and teammates Tyler Jones, Chris Kievit, and Drew Walsh all added RBI singles. Castodio left after just getting just two outs and handing the ball over to Andrew Rinaldi to finish off the inning.

Winning by only a run, Quinnipiac went back out on offense to build upon the 9-8 lead. Catcher Kyle Nisson blooped a fly ball just fair inside the right field line and legged it out for an RBI triple. Ryan Ullrich was the next batter and singled home Nisson for the 11-8 advantage.

As was the theme of the day, Long Island countered with another two runs as the tension started to escalate to unmeasurable proportions.

Ahead 11-10, Andrew Rinaldi hit Tito Marrero with a one-out pitch in the eighth inning. Marrero and Rinaldi then both exchanged words as the Long Island hitter was slow to go to first base.

This set off a whirlwind of events as most players started screaming at the opposing sides which resulted in Quinnipiac manager Dan Gooley sprinting out to settle down his ballclub. The skipper first went to the mound and then out to second base as order was soon restored.

“When I went out there I was going to make a change,” said Dan Gooley after the game. “He told me you can’t take me out because I’m going to win this game, so I went with my instinct and let him go back”

When play continued, Andrew Rinaldi got back to back outs to end the inning.

“They fired us up,” said the reliever. “Stuff like that doesn’t fly here and we needed to take care of business.”

Long Island reliever Evan Zerff continued his success as he pitched the last 2 1-3 innings and putting the pressure right back on Rinaldi for the top of the ninth inning.

Gerard Tingos led off with a single and Albert Faz tried to move the runner over but popped up a bunt for the first out of the inning. Catcher Tyler Jones lined out for the second out of the inning, but Long Island worked Rinaldi for a walk and a single to load up the bases with two outs.

The scene was then set with the bases loaded, two outs in the ninth inning of a one-run game with Rinaldi taking on Drew Walsh. The sophomore worked the count full to 3-2, fouled off another pitch and then lined out to shortstop Mickey Amanti to end the game. Rinaldi’s teammates stormed the field as Quinnipiac secured the 11-10 win and the overall series win against the Long Island Blackbirds.

“We battled through everything that went on with every inning,” added Rinaldi. “This puts us up higher in the standings, and gets us motivated and ready to go work harder.”

Quinnipiac coach Dan Gooley was very pleased with the way his team finished.

“We hung tough and it’s part of the metal you wear and the intrinsic strength that you have,” said Gooley. “It’s all about mental strength.”

Long Island falls to 9-24 on the season and 6-10 in the Northeast Conference. With the win, Quinnipiac improves their conference record to 6-6 and move their overall record to 6-23. The Blackbirds are back in action on Wednesday when Long Island travels down to New Jersey to play Rider. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 in the afternoon.

The Bobcats will also travel this week as Quinnipiac hits the road to play Hartford on Tuesday. The game will start at three o’clock from Fiondella Field. The next Bobcats home game will be on Wednesday as Quinnipiac will host Yale in a make-up game from earlier in the year.

( HAMDEN, Conn.) – Shortstop Mickey Amanti went 4 for 5 and Bobcat starter Mike Oskandy pitched eight stellar innings as the Quinnipiac Bobcats baseball team defeated the Long Island University Blackbirds 9-5 on Friday afternoon.

The Bobcat shortstop came within a triple of the cycle but added his fourth hit on an RBI single in eighth inning instead.

“I wasn’t even thinking about that,” said a baffled Mickey Amanti after the game. “It’s a good thing you didn’t tell because I probably would have tried for it.”

The afternoon game began under clear and cloudy conditions as Mike Oskandy retired the side in order in the first inning while Blackbird starter Kenny Cedel struggled to do the same. The senior lefty issued a leadoff double to Amanti and worked around a one-out walk to strand two runners.

Oskandy also handed out a one-out walk in the second inning but got some help from his teammates. After a strikeout of third baseman Derek Stupski, runner Chris Kievit broke for second base. Catcher Kyle Nisson came up throwing and fired a bullet to second base to catch Kievit stealing. Quinnipiac would strand a runner in the bottom of the inning as both teams remained scoreless.

Long Island first baseman Tito Marrero broke the tie in the third inning with a solo home run to left field. Mike Oskandy tried to get out of the inning, but a one out rally plated another run for the Blackbirds. Tyler Jones made it three straight this with an RBI single to left field scoring Gerard Tingos and increasing the lead to 2-0.

The Bobcats rallied right back in the next half inning when Joe Poletzky singled to left-center field. Second baseman Chris Migani also reached on a single and then started a pickoff attempt that resulted in Poletzky scoring to tie the game. As the Blackbirds scrambled to tag out Migani, Joe Poletzky broke for home and scored without a throw.

In the fifth inning, Mike Oskandy got out of a jam by leaving two runners on base, and swung momentum to the Quinnipiac offense for the bottom half of the inning. Mickey Amanti picked up another one of his four hits in the game and outfielder Ben Farina followed it up with a walk. With two runners on base, Joe Poletzky blasted a double to deep left field, scoring both runners and propelling the Bobcats to a 4-2 lead. Joe-Po finished 2 for 4 in the game with three runs batted in.

Long Island snatched one of those runs back in the sixth inning when shortstop Drew Walsh doubled in Greg DeSantis.

Down 4-3, pitcher Kenny Cedel was hoping for a shutdown inning to keep the score the same, but Quinnipiac was persistent in rebuilding the lead. A Ryan Ullrich single increased the lead to two and pinch hitter Mike Bartlett singled to chase the Long Island lefty from the game. Reliever Luke Hammond entered the game for the Blackbirds but was rudely greeted by Mickey Amanti. The hot-hitting shortstop slammed a three-run home run to left field, his second home run of the season, that just cleared the fence for the 8-3 advantage.

“I think it got caught in the jetstream because I’m not even a big guy,” said a laughing Mickey Amanti. “It got caught up there, got lucky and it just went.”

With a five run lead, Mike Oskandy trotted back out to the mound in the 7^th inning with 103 pitches. The fifth-year senior set down the side in the inning, and worked around a leadoff error in the eighth inning to complete his outing. The senior threw eight innings, allowing three earned runs and struck out eight Blackbirds on the afternoon. The win was his second of the season.

“I thought Oskandy was outstanding,” said Quinnipiac manager Dan Gooley. “He is a money pitcher. He was in command the entire game.”

The pitcher finished with 130 pitches on the afternoon even saying he could have pitched the ninth inning if he needed to.

“We had a good gameplan going on,” said pitcher Mike Oskandy. “We missed a couple in the third inning but were able to bear down.”

Andrew Rinaldi made things interesting in the ninth inning when he entered for Mike Oskandy.  The right-hander allowed two runs and loaded up the bases to give the Blackbirds hope. Ahead 9-5, Rinaldi faced Derek Stupski and induced the third baseman to pop up and end the game.

With the loss, Long Island drops to 8-21 on the season and 5-8 in the Northeast Conference. Quinnipiac improves to 4-22 on the season and adds their fourth win in conference play with the win. Both teams will continue the four game weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at the Quinnipiac Bobcats baseball field. First pitch is at noon and both games are scheduled for seven innings. The series will be completed with a single game of nine innings on Sunday afternoon.

( HAMDEN, Conn.) – The Rhode Island Rams defeated the Quinnipiac Bobcats 13-2 on Tuesday afternoon but the game was much closer than the score indicates.

Both teams were tied at two entering the top of the sixth inning, but Rhode Island scored the last eleven runs of the game for the win.

Just before first pitch, the sun peeked through the clouds for the first time today as both teams prepared for the non-conference matchup at the Quinnipiac Bobcats Baseball Field.

Freshman George Dummar started for the Bobcats and allowed the first run of the game in the top of the first inning. The Rams came out swinging with three straight hits including a single from Kyle Borden that handed Rhode Island the 1-0 lead.

Quinnipiac answered back in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game against Rhode Island starter Dan Johnson. Chris Migani led off the inning with a deep home run to left field, his second of the season, to even up the score.

In the third, sophomore Mike LeBel led off the inning with a double, stole second base, and came around to score on a sacrifice fly. The efforts of LeBel and his teammates helped Rhody regain the 2-1 advantage.

Quinnipiac rallied back again in the fourth inning to once again tie up the score. First baseman Gabe Guerino doubled with one out, moved to third on a passed ball and eventually came around to score on a Ryan Ullrich double.

In the meantime, the Quinnipiac right-hander George Dummar found his groove. The freshmen retired six hitters in a row and was carrying momentum into the sixth inning. Unfortunately for Dummar, the pitcher allowed back to back hits to leadoff the inning and was subsequently taken out of the game.

Kevin Castodio and Derek Lamacchia would also pitch in the inning that saw Rhode Island score six runs and pull ahead 8-2. Freshman Kevin Stenhouse picked up an RBI single and Mike LeBel continued his hot hitting with a two-run single later as well. LeBel finished the day going 4 for 5 with three runs, three RBIs and two stolen bases.

The Rams then went on to score the last eleven runs of the game against the Quinnipiac relievers in the 13-2 win. Rhode Island added another three runs in the seventh inning and another two runs in the eighth as well.

The losing pitcher was George Dummar who threw five plus innings, while allowing four runs on eight hits. It was his first loss of the season. Quinnipiac would use 4 relievers to complete the game including Castodio, Lamacchia, Todd DeFrancesco and Andrew Rinaldi. The Bobcats bullpen gave up nine runs in the four innings of work.

Rhode Island Dan Johnson pitched just 3 2/3 innings allowing two runs on four hits. The win is credited to reliever Rob Curran who entered the game after Johnson. The redshirt freshman pitched 3 1/3 scoreless one-hit innings for his first win of the season.

The Rams improve to 15-14 on the season and will play another Northeast Conference team tomorrow in Bryant University. The game will be played at Rhode Island’s home field with first pitch slated for 3:30 in the afternoon.

The Quinnipiac Bobcats have now lost five games in a row following the loss to Rhode Island and their record stands at 3-22. Quinnipiac will look to get back on track this weekend when the Bobcats host the Long Island Blackbirds in a four game weekend series at home. The first game will be played on Friday at the Quinnipiac Bobcats Baseball Field beginning at three o’clock.

(HANOVER, NH)- Brian Monack hit two home runs for the Quinnipiac Bobcats baseball team yesterday, but it wasn’t enough as he also yielded a walkoff double to David Turnbull and the Dartmouth Big Green in a 7-6 loss Wednesday afternoon.

Quinnipiac held an early 6-2 lead with the home runs from Brian Monack, but the team was unable to secure the lead in the late innings.

Brian Monack started the scoring for Quinnipiac in the first inning with a two-run home run off of Dartmouth starter Michael Johnson.

The Bobcats then looked for a shutdown inning with George Dummar III on the mound, but the Big Green were able to storm right back to tie the game.

Junior Jeff Onstott came up with two runners on base, and laced a double to left field. Both runners came around to score as Dartmouth and Quinnipiac were now tied up at two.

The score wouldn’t stay like that for long as the Quinnipiac offense rallied right back against Johnson. This time, shortstop Mickey Amanti connected off the freshman lefthander for a two-run home run and regaining the lead for the Bobcats.

In the third inning, Brian Monack belted his second home run of the game, this time a solo home run to lead off the inning. Two batters later, catcher Kyle Nisson tripled home an additional run as Quinnipiac pulled ahead 6-2.

Michael Johnson would calm down over the next two innings, but was only able to throw five innings total. He allowed six runs (all earned) on ten hits and left the game in position for the loss.

On the other side, Dummar was rolling along for Quinnipiac. The freshman calmed down after a difficult first inning to keep the Dartmouth quiet.

The right hander was excelling until the sixth inning when the Big Green mounted a comeback. Trailing 6-2, outfielder Jim Wren walked to start the inning and infielder Zack Bellenger then reached on a dropped fly ball by second baseman Chris Migani. Dartmouth scored two runs on sacrifice flies, and then catcher Chris O’Dowd tied the game on a two-run home run to left field.

Dummar pitched 6 2/3 innings for the no-decision, allowing 6 runs (2 earned) on the afternoon. Reliever Tim O’Sullivan entered for Dummar in the seventh inning and pitched a scoreless frame before being lifted for Quinnipiac outfielder Brian Monack.

The left-handed senior stranded a runner on second base in the 8^th inning and stayed on the mound for the 9^th inning as well.

With one out, Monack walked Jeff Onstott but David Turnbull came up and hit a game-winning walk-off double to left field, scoring Onstott and providing Dartmouth with a come-from-behind 7-6 win against Quinnipiac.

The comeback was made possible with four shutout innings from the Dartmouth bullpen. After Johnson exited the game, junior Dan Ternowchek entered to throw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. The righty struck out three Quinnipiac hitters without allowing a run or a hit. Following Ternowchek, sophomore Cole Susler came in and did the same, pitching 2 1/3 innings only allowing one hit and also striking out three batters.

Combined, the two relievers held Quinnipiac scoreless for the final four innings and giving the offense enough time to come back for the win.

Freshman catcher Chris O’Dowd reached base three times in the game, going 1 for 2 with a home run, two RBIs, and two walks. Second baseman Jeff Onstott also chipped in going 2 for 4 with two runs batted in.

Brian Monack led the Bobcats going 2 for 3 with two home runs and three RBIs, but he also took the loss as well. Monack only pitched 2/3 of an inning, allowing the walk-off double to David Turnbull.  The loss is the third one of the season for the Quinnipiac pitcher.

Dartmouth improves to .500 with the win and the team’s record now stands at an even 10-10. The Big Green will continue its season high ten game homestand with a pair of doubleheaders this weekend. On Saturday, the Dartmouth will host Columbia for two games followed by a doubleheader against Penn on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for noon on both days.

With the loss, Quinnipiac falls to 3-19 on the season but will look to improve this weekend with a home and home series against Fairfield. The Stags will visit Quinnipiac for a one o’clock game on Saturday and the Bobcats will return the favor by visiting Fairfield for a one o’clock game on Sunday as well.

(BRIDGEPORT, Conn.) – Sacred Heart (9-12) and Quinnipiac (2-17) split a doubleheader today at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard with the Pioneers winning the first game 11-1 and the Bobcats taking the second game 8-3.

The afternoon began with a complete game from Sacred Heart pitcher Jared Balbach and an offensive performance that featured a hit from every single Pioneer starter in the lineup.

It didn’t take the offense long to find its rhythm as Sacred Heart rallied for two runs against Bobcat starter Tony Cinelli in the very first inning.

Shortstop John Murphy hit a sacrifice fly for the first run of the game and catcher John Heppner followed up with a solo home run for the two run lead. The Pioneers would add another run in the second inning and it was more than enough offense for Jared Balbach on this afternoon.

The lefty allowed just three hits on the afternoon and an unearned run that he allowed in the third inning.

Now ahead 3-1, Sacred Heart sought more offense and found it in a familiar spot from John Murphy. The freshman hit a two-run single to right field and pushed the lead to four. Murphy went 2 for 3 in the first contest with a game-high five RBIs. The infielder would add another two-run double in the 6th inning as Sacred Heart won 11-1.

Jared Balbach improved to 3-2 with the win while Quinnipiac’s starter Tony Cinelli now has a record of 0-2 this season. The sophomore pitched 4 2/3 innings allowing 6 runs on a total of 12 hits. Andrew Rinaldi then came in for the last four outs, but also had difficulty against the Pioneers lineup as he allowed five runs as well.

With Sacred Heart now ahead two games to none in the series, Quinnipiac looked to split the doubleheader and look towards evening the series.

Just like in game one, Sacred Heart was able to score first, this time against Bobcat pitcher Kyle Birdsall. Sophomore infielder Hunter Phillips handed the Pioneers a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly and the score would stay that way until the top of the fifth.

Corey Corcoran had retired 11 of the last 12 Quinnipiac batters he faced entering the inning, but the lefty soon ran into trouble. Ben Farina reached on an error to start the inning and the Bobcats quickly took advantage.

Mickey Amanti hit an RBI double to tie up the game and Kyle Nisson gave Quinnipiac their first lead of the game with a pinch hit RBI single. Another fielding error on Sacred Heart scored another run for the Bobcats and Quinnipiac led 3-1 after the inning.

Sacred Heart continued the sloppy defense with two more errors in the sixth inning that helped Quinnipiac take a 6-1 lead. The Pioneers added a run in the sixth inning, but Quinnipiac put the game away for good with another three runs in the final inning.

Brian Monack and Ben Farina both walked with the bases loaded to force in a run, and Gabe Guerino reached on an infield single in the 8-2 Bobcats win.

Kyle Birdsall pitched the complete game for Quinnipiac earning his second win of the season. The junior allowed two runs on four hits, while striking out six Pioneers on the afternoon.

Corey Corcoran takes the loss for Sacred heart as his record drops to 1-2 on the season. The pitcher lasted just 4 2/3 innings, allowing 3 runs, although one of them was earned.

The bullpen faltered down the stretch for Corcoran and the Pioneers. The relievers threw a combined 2 1/3 innings but managed to allow five runs (three earned) on one hit and seven walks.

With the split of the doubleheader, Quinnipiac’s record improves to 2-17 on the season and 2-5 in the Northeast Conference. Sacred Heart, on the other hand, finds themselves with a 9-12 record overall and a conference record of 2-1.

Both teams will meet again in the series finale tomorrow morning at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard. First pitch is scheduled for ten o’clock in the morning and the Quinnipiac Bobcats need a win to split the series with Sacred Heart while the Pioneers will look to win the series on Friday at home.

The Phillips home run pushed the Pioneers ahead by five runs and Zaccheiro did the rest as the senior retired the last 17 batters he faced in order.

Quinnipiac started off with the lead when Joe Poletsky singled home a run off of the Sacred Heart starter in the top of the first inning. The Pioneers would rally right back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice fly against Quinnipiac senior Mike Oskandy.

The Bobcats regained the lead in the 3^rd inning with a pair of RBI singles from Brian Monack and Joe Poletzky but the lead was short-lived. Ahead 3-1, Mike Oskandy looked for a shutdown inning but the Pioneer bats refused to cooperate.

Steve Tedesco brought Sacred Heart within a run on an RBI single and a JJ Edwards two run single handed the Pioneers a 4-3 advantage.

In the top of the fourth inning, Zaccheriro surrendered a leadoff single to Gabe Guerino but the first baseman was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double. Guerino would be the last Bobcat to reach base as Zaccheiro retired every batter after that point.

Zaccheiro struck out seven batters on the afternoon while only allowing three runs (all earned). The righty earned his second win of the season as Sacred Heart won their first game in Northeast Conference play.

Mike Oskandy receives the loss for the Bobcats after the pitcher threw five innings and yielding eight runs(all earned) on eight hits. Reliever Derek Lamacchia came in for the right-hander and threw the final three shutout innings for Quinnipiac.

Both teams will meet again Friday as the best of four weekend series continues at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard. Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac will play two-seven inning contests beginning at noon. The series will conclude with a nine-inning matchup to follow at ten o’clock on Friday morning.

(HAMDEN, Conn.) – On Sinatra Sunday, it was a man by the name of Kent Worthington (Hagerstown,MD) who would be viewed as the Chairman of the Board on this day.

At 3:46 in the afternoon, Kent Worthington, a senior right-handed pitcher for the Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers, threw his final pitch of the day and 116^th overall. With it, Quinnipiac third baseman Joe Poletzky (Riverside, CT) grounded out to second base and secured Kent Worthington a place in baseball history with the first no-hitter of his collegiate career.

“I’ve been pitching my whole life and I’ve never thrown anywhere near a no hitter,” said Kent Worthington after the game. “I’ve never [even] gone this deep into a game in my whole life.”

Worthington struck out nine Bobcat hitters and occasionally lost some control with five walks, only to regain his no-hit form.

“Kent just battled and he threw four pitches for strikes today,” said Mountaineers Coach Scott Thompson. “He did a great job spotting his pitches, and keeping them off balance.”

The pitcher had a total of five called strikeouts and was also able to pick up three double plays. But later in the game, the defense started to become a storyline alongside Worthington for a different reason. Mount Saint Mary’s committed three errors in the game and two in the crucial 8^th inning of a no-hit bid.

Leading off the inning, Bobcat first baseman Gabe Guerino (Milford, CT) hit a shallow fly ball to center field. Defensive replacement Buddy Fields (Manassas, VA) came racing in, set himself for the catch and let the ball pop into and out of his glove. Guerino reached on the fielding error and then was retired on a double play.

Then, outfielder Ray Buckley (Bethel, CT) hit a fly ball to right field that sent Tom Healy (Harrisburg, PA) running towards the fence. The rightfielder went up Rizzo’s Ridge, stopped, turned around and also dropped the ball. Just like earlier, the fielder was charged with an error, and Worthington induced Mike Bartlett (Milford, CT) to fly out and end the inning. But Worthington’s close calls weren’t done here.

In the ninth inning, second baseman Alex Soucy (Manchester, CT) led off with a 4-pitch walk, but the righty struck out Bobcat outfielder Kevin O’Connell (Glastonbury, CT) for the first out of the inning.

Reliever Karl Lamont (Williamsburg, IA) then started to warm up in the bullpen just in case Worthington allowed a hit, which he nearly did to the next batter. On a 1-0 pitch, outfielder Brian Monack (Branford, CT) laced a liner down the left field line that curved just foul. Monack then tapped a groundball off the plate and back towards Worthington. The pitcher bobbled it, recovered, and quickly threw to first base to just to beat the runner.

Joe Poletsky then proved to be the final batter, as he grounded out to Michael Foster (Easton, MD) at second base to end the game and secure Kent Worthington’s place among the elite. His fellow teammates and coaches rushed the field in pure jubilation to meet Worthington and celebrate his accomplishment.

“I was sore all week and had to take extra care today,” said Worthington just after the no-hitter. “It never really occurred to me. I just wanted to make sure to make all my pitches throughout the game.”

Even when the pitcher admitted to getting tired near the end, he knew a no-hitter was possible.

“I knew I was starting to run out of gas and knew I was starting to get a little slow to the plate,” said an honest Kent Worthington. “I knew I had to keep my pitches down if I wanted to make it through. I just tried to keep it out of my mind the best I could do.”

Worthington even mentioned that the errors didn’t faze him down the stretch.

The last two errors were all routine pop-ups,” said the pitcher. “I was hitting my spots really well and knew that the guys behind me wouldn’t let me down. We have a great defense and those errors are like one in a million.”

Something that often gets lost or forgotten in a once in a million moment like this, is the play of the offense, which for Mt. St. Mary’s also had quite a performance.

Sam Nott (Harrisburg, PA) started the scoring for the Mountaineers against Quinnipiac starter Todd DeFrancesco (North Haven, CT) with a two run home run in the first inning. It was the first of three home runs on the day for Mt. St. Mary’s.

The Mountaineers continued in the second inning when the team batted around and added another five runs to their total.

Zach Helman (Waynesboro, PA), Tommy Flynn (Reston, VA), and Michael Foster all had RBI singles as Quinnipiac now trailed 7-0.

“Todd came out a little shaky in the beginning,” said Quinnipiac assistant coach Marc Stonaha. “But his last few innings he did settle down. He battled and gave us everything he had.”

DeFrancesco pitched into the fifth inning but did allow a 3-run home run to Zach Helman that ended his day. The senior threw 4 1/3 innings while allowing 10 runs.

Relievers Kevin Castodio (Pawcatuck, CT) and Andrew Rinaldi (East Rockaway, NY) pitched the remainder of the game for Quinnipiac.

Mount Saint Mary’s improves to 7-12 on the season and wins three of the four games this weekend to start Northeast Conference play. All but one Mountaineer starter picked up a hit and seven finished with one RBI or more.

Third baseman Zach Helman finished 3 for 4 with a home run, three runs and 4 RBIs. First baseman Josh Winter (Timonium, MD) also had a strong day, going 3 for 6 and adding three more RBIs.

Quinnipiac will look to improve on the team’s 1-15 record on Wednesday when the Bobcats are back in action to face their cross-town rivals, the Yale Bulldogs. First pitch is scheduled for three o’clock at the Quinnipiac Bobcats baseball field, and the game can be heard live on the WQAQ Sports stream.

( HAMDEN, CT) – On a cold and brisk day, the Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers (6-12) rallied against the Quinnipiac Bobcats (1-14) baseball team to sweep both games of a doubleheader 5-2, and 8-3.

In game one, Josh Winter hit a game-tying two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning off of Bobcat starter Tony Cinelli (Wall, NJ), and the Mountaineers would add another three runs in extra innings for the win.

The second game belonged to Mount Saint Mary’s as well. Early on, the Mountaineers scored the first eight runs of the game and closed the door late to win both games on Saturday.

The afternoon started with Tony Cinelli and Brady Feigl (Severn, MD) on the mound in the midst of a pitcher’s duel. Feigl worked his way out of a bases loaded jam in the third inning but struggled even more in the fifth inning.

Quinnipiac catcher Kyle Nisson (Wallingford, CT) and shortstop Mickey Amanti (Waterford, CT) led off the inning with back to back singles and both runners came around to score on a Chris Migani (Orange, CT) base-hit up the middle.

Both pitchers were then able to keep the opposition scoreless in the sixth inning and Tony Cinelli looked to close out the game in the seventh inning with a 2-0 edge.

Entering with a low pitch count in the 60s, the right-hander allowed a one-out single to the reigning NEC player of the year Shane Eyler (Taneytown, MD). First baseman Josh Winter (Timonium, MD) then stepped up to the plate as the tying run and crushed a 2-run home run to right-center field. The home run from Winter tied up the game at two and knocked Cinelli out of the game.

“Cinelli is a battler and has been for two years,” said Quinnipiac Coach Dan Gooley. “He got 2 strikes on Winter and tried to throw a pitch down and in, that just got up in his shoulders.”

The sophomore  pitched 6 1/3 innings in the no-decision, allowing those two runs on a total of seven hits. Pitcher Derek Lamacchia (Whitestone, NY) entered and was able to finish the inning for Quinnipiac.

Outfeilder/pitcher Matt Matta (Woodbridge, CT) continued to throw for the Mount in the 7^th inning after getting out of a jam in the 6^th. The side-winding righty threw 3 1/3 straight scoreless innings to silence the Bobcat bats.

In the 9^th inning, the Mount Saint Mary’s offense started to click against the Quinnipiac relievers. Josh Winter struck again with an RBI single to take the team’s first lead of the game 3-2. Andrew Rinaldi (East Rockaway, NY) then came in for the Bobcats but couldn’t get out of the inning. Michael Foster (Easton, MD) and Matt Matta also were able to add on RBI singles to increase the lead to three.

Ahead 5-2, Matta stayed in for the Mountaineers on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning. The pitcher was able to retire the side in order and clinch the come from behind win for the Mount.

Lamacchia took the loss for Quinnipiac after throwing two innings on relief. In his third loss of the season, the right-hander allowed three runs (all earned) on the afternoon.

Mike Matta was credited with his first win of the season for his stellar relief appearance. The pitcher now finds himself with a 1-1 record.

After a half hour intermission, both teams stepped back on to the green grass at the Quinnipiac Bobcats Baseball Field to resume the NEC doubleheader.

Game two would be a different story compared to the first game. Where the Bobcats led most of the way in game one, the Mountaineers were able to came from behind for the win.

This time, it was The Mount who came out swinging and scoring early, while also holding down the Bobcats offense.

Kyle Birdsall (Orange, CT) started for the Quinnipiac Bobcats but only managed to throw 2 1/3 innings. Left fielder Kyle Kane (Boonsboro, MD) put the Mountaineers ahead with an RBI single in the 1^st inning and then helped Mount Saint Mary’s extend the lead in the second.

“Birdsall was okay,” said Dan Gooley. “He wasn’t himself when he pitched last week against Holy Cross and they made some good contact against him [today].”

Michael Foster added an RBI double and Tommy Flynn chipped in an RBI single, but it was Kane’s run-producing single that handed the Mountaineers a 5-0 lead.

Foster also tacked on another RBI single in the fourth inning to make the score 6-0 and bring Birdsall’s afternoon to a close. The junior right-hander pitched 2 1/3 innings allowing 6 runs (3 earned) on 9 hits.

Alex Russow (Milford, CT) then came in for Quinnipiac and was able to end the inning for the Bobcats. Unfortunately for Quinnipiac, Russow would also run into a jam as the Mountaineers added two more runs in the fifth inning to pull ahead 8-0.

Throughout all of this, Mount Saint Mary’s starter Vincent Molesky (Montoursville, PA) was able to keep Quinnipiac scoreless. The freshman right-hander worked his way into and out of trouble early on, and his lone blemish was a three run inning for Quinnipiac in the bottom of the fifth.

Center fielder Brian Monack (Branford, CT) crushed a 2-run triple and third baseman Joe Poletzky (Riverside, CT) followed with an RBI single.

With the score 8-3, The Mount kept Quinnipiac scoreless the rest of the way to complete the sweep. Mount Saint Mary’s improves to 6-12 on the season and 2-1 in Northeast Conference play. Quinnipiac’s record now stands at 1-14 with a 1-2 record in the NEC.

The win marks the third in the collegiate career of Vincent Molesky. The freshman did walk six batters and allow six hits, but the righty was able to hold the Bobcats to just three runs. Kyle Birdsall takes the loss for Quinnipiac and falls to 0-2 on the season.

Both teams will meet again tomorrow at the Quinnipiac Bobcats baseball field in Hamden, Connecticut to complete the four-game weekend series. First pitch is scheduled for 1 o’clock on Sinatra Sunday.

“We need to make sure Sinatra Sunday starts and finishes,” added Coach Gooley. “We have to turn around and play good a lot, in a lot of different areas.”

The broadcast of the game can be heard on the Bobcat Sports Network presented by WQAQ beginning five minutes prior to first pitch.

This week’s WQAQ athlete of the week honors belong to senior forward Katie Latonick (Severna Park, Md.), the captain of Quinnipiac’s women’s lacrosse team.

Latonick led the Bobcats to a 2-1 week, including back-to-back dominant performances against NEC rival Central Connecticut State University and Iona University. The 2-1 week for Quinnipiac improved the Bobcats record to 3-4 overall on the year, and 2-0 in conference play.

Latonick had a huge week, proving why she is the captain of this team. Latonick scored 8 goals, along with having 11 assists, which gave her a total of 19 points on the week.  This included her huge 4 goal, 4 assist game against CCSU this past Sunday; a game which the Bobcats won convincingly 20-4.

On the year, Latonick leads the team in assists (17), is fourth on the team in goals (11), and leads the team in overall points (28).

The Bobcats will look to improve their overall and conference record when they take on the Long Island University Blackbirds in Brooklyn, N.Y. this Friday.

( FAIRFIELD, CT) – The Quinnipiac Bobcats baseball team (0-10) came within one out of their first win of the season, but a late comeback from Fairfield Stags (6-4) resulted in a 3-2 Quinnipiac loss.

Quinnipiac starter Mike Oskandy (Bethel, CT) pitched nine solid innings for the Quinnipiac Bobcats baseball team but Fairfield would score a run in each of the 9^th and 10^th innings for the win.

The Bobcats got on the scoreboard first when catcher Kyle Nisson (Wallingford, CT) continued his hot hitting against Fairfield starter Gavin McCullough (Stamford, CT). In the second inning, outfielder Brian Monack (Branford, CT) was on base with a leadoff walk and Nisson drove him home with an RBI single to center field. Nisson had three hits in the game and is second only to teammate Ben Farina (Waterford, CT) with a .393 batting average .

With the 1-0 lead, Mike Oskandy would get into some trouble but manage to escape it unscathed. He allowed a leadoff walk in the first inning and a leadoff double in the 3^rd inning, only to strand both runners.

Fairfield was able to tie the game in the fourth inning off the Bobcats right-hander on an RBI single from Anthony Hajjar (Brooklyn, NY).

Tied at one, Quinnipiac regained the lead in the top of the fifth inning on a solo home run from outfielder Ben Farina.

With the 2-1 advantage, Mike Oskandy continued to roll along until the bottom of the ninth inning. Carmine DeVito (Plainview, NY) led off the inning with a leadoff walk, was sacrificed over to second, and advanced to third on a groundout. With two outs in the inning, Oskandy needed just one more out for the complete game and the first win of the season for the Quinnipiac Bobcats. The right-hander was able to induce Chris Horning (Potomac, MD) to hit a ground ball to shortstop, but Mickey Amanti was unable to field the tough hop, enabling DeVito to score the tying run. Oskandy was then able to strikeout Justin Nusblatt (Doylestown, PA) to send the game to extra innings.

In the top of the tenth inning, Quinnipiac loaded the bases with two outs, but Stags reliever Mark Bordonaro (Berlin, CT) got Mickey Amanti to hit into a fielder’s choice to strand all three runners, and end the inning.

The Bobcats then turned to reliever Derek Lamacchia (Whitestone, NY) in the bottom of the inning, but a leadoff walk to Ryan Furbeck (Oakland, NJ) started another Fairfield rally. The runner moved up to second base on a passed ball and Tucker Nathans doubled home the winning run to clinch the 3-2 Stags win.

The loss marks the first one in the career of Derek Lamacchia. The freshman was unable to record an out in the bottom of the tenth inning after relieving Mike Oskandy. The Bobcats starter had his best outing of the season allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on five hits and five walks. The right-hander also had six strikeouts in the no decision.

The win went to Mark Bordonaro for getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the tenth inning. It marked the third win of the season for the reliever.

The Quinnipiac Bobcats are back in action on Saturday afternoon when the baseball team travels to Fitton Field to play the Holy Cross Crusaders at noon. It will also be the official home opener for Holy Cross.