Baseball’s Late-Inning Comeback vs. No. 24 ECSU Comes up Just Short
Justin Lutes
HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 2, 2013) – The Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team trailed 8-0 against No. 24 Eastern Connecticut State University into the bottom of the seventh inning and attempted a comeback by scoring seven runs in the final three innings but came up one run short, 8-7. Stevens plated three runs in the ninth and had the bases loaded with two outs but could not drive in that fourth run at Dobbelaar Field.
Eastern Connecticut jumped out with five runs over the first two innings behind the hot bat of Joe Balowski, who went 5-for-5 in the game with four runs batted in. Balowski drove in one run in the first, two in the second and one more in the fourth inning. He went 7-for-10 on the day, including a 2-for-5 effort against New Jersey City University in the first game of the day.
The Ducks bats were shut down by Warriors’ starter Tom Darby, who surrendered just two hits in five innings of work with four strikeouts. Once Darby was lifted from the game, Stevens’ offense woke up and pounded out 12 hits over the final four innings.
Freshman
Tyler Bush (Bristol, Conn.) delivered a two-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth to highlight his 2-for-5 day at the plate. Fellow freshman
Jayson Yano (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) and junior
Curt Lowenstein (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) also collected two hits in five trips to the plate. Yano stroked a double, scored twice and drove in two more, while Lowenstein scored one run with an RBI. Yano’s two RBI came in the bottom of the ninth on a single to centerfield.
Sophomore
Ryan Mannello (Staten Island, N.Y.) stroked two doubles for Stevens in five at bats. Junior
Dan Allen (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) was the fifth Duck with two hits on the day and he also scored once, drove in another and walked.
On the mound, sophomore
Matt Buccheri (Little Silver, N.J.) was dealt the loss in three innings pitched. Buccheri gave up five hits and six runs (three earned) with four strikeouts and three walks. Freshman
Robert Robbins (Tallahassee, Fla.) also tossed three innings in relief and punched out four batters. Robbins allowed five hits and two runs with two free passes. Classmate
Ryan Patterson (Staten Island, N.Y.) was nearly unhittable in the final three innings of the contest, as he gave up just one hit and struck out five Warriors.
This is the third-straight game in which the Ducks’ pitch staff has eclipsed 10-plus strikeouts.
After the slow start at the plate, Stevens would go on to outhit Eastern Connecticut, 14-11, but needed one more to force extra innings or win the ballgame.
The Warriors took down NJCU, 8-1, in the opener which led into the exhibition game between the Hoboken Historical H9 Baseball Team. Hoboken holds the claim to be the birthplace of baseball and this team still plays by the rules from the 1860’s and put that on display for the fans today as an intermission between the two collegiate games.
Stevens is back on the diamond tomorrow at 1 p.m. against Lehman College at Dobbelaar Field.