Matt Cain – Contributor
The Owls win their second game in row by defeating the College of Saint Rose 4-3 in the first game of the doubleheader.
This was a hard-fought game as the Knights pulled away early with a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Starting pitcher, Mike Szturma, a redshirt freshman got the start on the mound. Szturma walked the first batter and then gave up the early run, but then struck out the next 12.
Head Coach Tim Shea was very pleased on how Sturmza and the team stayed composed throughout the game.
“There have been multiple games where we were down early, the guys know they have to stay composed throughout the nine-inning game,” Coach Shea said.
With Sturmza battling on the mound, he had a season-high of 12 strikeouts. On the offense side of the ball, it was very competitive. In the second, outfielder Conor Goggin, a sophomore drew a walk and then began to steal second, putting himself in scoring position. The Owls cut the lead down when outfielder Chad Fedli a sophomore singled to bring in a Goggin.
The Owls also scored one run in the seventh and then blasting the game open in the eighth with two runs to take the lead. The game has been relatively close until then. First basemen Jack Drewry, a sophomore, got his first and only hit in the eighth, which was a clutch hit for the team as he singled to right field.
However, Drewry didn’t contribute much at the plate in this first game. This season he is batting just over a .280 average, but he also stays relaxed and lets the game come to him.
“For most of us We didn’t really have a good game at the plate, but pitching kept us in the game and when it counted we put some hits together,” Drewry said.
In crunch time the Owls rallied together some runs. Drewry has been in spots like this before, and which he also showed up. Being that the bats were not on fire this game, as said before pitching was a big factor in this game. In the bullpen a pitcher Peter Phillips, a sophomore came out and gave one good inning to get the win on the mound.
This win would also be his fourth, Phillips is now 4-0 on the mound. Pitcher Tommy Hughes, a junior came into the game in the top of the ninth to close out the game. This would be Hughes eighth save on the year.
The Owls have been in tough games before and which they counted on pitching to get them out of trouble. Shea loves the pitching rotation that the team has.
“We have a very good rotation, I like what who we have, and I feel we have a couple of aces on the mound,” Shea said.
The bullpen also showed up, the Owls have one of the deepest bullpens as well. Hughes coming out of the bullpen has been great this season.
“Our bullpen is one of the best, we can compete with just about anybody,” Shea said.
As the team is competing in all these series, a key factor to the Owls is the bench. The support from the bench guys that can come in and pinch hit or pinch run at any time. One of those guys being catcher Connor Powell, a freshman. Powell prides himself on motivating the team and learning as much as he can.
“Playing games like these helps us get better at anything, when we go through these games we become better,” Powell said.
Powell learns anything he can, so when it’s his time to shine he can be as composed as the rest of the team.
The overall game was a nail biter, the bats were not on fire, but defense help the Owls to stay alive in the game. The Owls play a relentless and tough type of baseball, and they look to execute earlier in the next coming games.
“We want to get on top early and get out to a great start. Other than that, we just need to keep playing good defense,” Shea said.
