Matt Borelli, Staff Writer:
Despite strong winds and cool temperatures, the Southern Connecticut State University baseball team was able to advance to 16-0 with a 3-0 victory over St.Rose.
“We have to win close games, and we did what we needed to do today,” said head coach Tim Shea following the victory.
Junior Chris Zbin went seven strong innings allowing just one hit and two walks with eight strikeouts for the win, while fellow junior Ryan Yerina pitched the final two innings in relief, striking out one and not allowing a hit or a walk on the day.
“I was just focusing on getting ahead in counts and trying to keep runners off the base paths,” said Zbin, who won his fourth game of the season.
The Owls struck in the first inning as senior Nick Deprospo was hit by a pitch, which led to Ryan Geffert single to drive him in for the first run of the day. The Owls would tally only that one hit on the day.
Zbin held St. Rose on lock. St. Rose only hit came on a grounder up the middle that hit the second base bag and took a weird bounce, which shortstop Kyle Cummings was unable to handle and it was officially scored a single.
Cummings did more than enough with his glove to make up for it. In the top of the sixth, senior Ryan Price hit a dart between shortstop and third; Cummings made a sliding backhand stop and threw him out at first to end the inning.
The Owls struck again in the bottom half of the inning. Kyle Rosadino walked on a full count with Geffert coming to the plate.
On the first pitch, Geffert hit a fielder’s choice as Rosadino was thrown out at second, but Geffert got to first safely.
A.J Rouleau stepped in with a man at first and one out. He hit a sharp grounder to second and the second baseman overthrew first base as Geffert advanced to third with Rouleau
on second.
With men at second and third, Bryan Dorsey stepped to the plate and struck out swinging at a 2-2 fastball, which led to reigning freshman of the year winner Michael Cleary.
Cleary grounded a ball to short which appeared to be the ending of the inning, when the shortstop overthrew first base allowing Geffert to score and put the Owls up 2-0.
“It was really a pitching duel today,” said Cummings, who won Player of the Week in the conference last week. “We capitalized on their mistakes.”
St. Rose would make four errors on the day, which would lead to their demise. Each team tallied just one hit apiece.
David Batchelder pitched six strong innings for St. Rose in the loss allowing just two runs, one earned. Nick Polsinelli finished the game strong allowing no hits and two walks with one unearned run in the last two innings.
The Owls scored again in the seventh following another overthrow from the third basemen, which allowed T.K Kiernan to cross the plate for the third and final run of the day.
Yerina stepped in and had a 1-2-3 eighth inning along with a 1-2-3 ninth inning as he slowly looks to add innings under his belt after starting the season with an injury.
The Owls traveled to Merrimack College on March 26 and came away with two wins.
