Pair of Comebacks Come Up Short for Bobcats at Niagara

Friday, April 2

Niagara Falls, N.Y. / Bobo Field

12:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

2-7, 2-7

Niagara

5-4, 5-4

Quinnipiac

Niagara

Photo by: Liz Flynn, QBSN

Pair of Comebacks Come Up Short for Bobcats at Niagara

4/2/2021 8:54:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Lutz, Marrero Lead Offense Friday but Baseball Can't Overcome Purple Eagles

By: QU Athletic Communications

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Quinnipiac baseball team made two attempted late-inning comebacks Friday but the Bobcats came up short in a doubleheader at Niagara, falling 8-4 in game one and 8-7 in game two at Bobo Field.

Quinnipiac trailed by eight runs heading into the top of the seventh inning in game one of the doubleheader before the Bobcats scored four runs to cut the deficit in half. Kyle Maves (Burlington, Ontario) had a two-RBI single before Ian Ostberg (Northampton, Massachusetts) had an RBI single and Maves came home to score on an Evan Vulgamore (Bow, New Hampshire) hit by pitch.

The tying run came to the plate with the bases loaded and the Bobcats trailing 8-4 but Quinnipiac couldn't not finish off the comeback.

Maves led the Bobcats with two RBIs in game one as he went 1 for 3 and also scored a run while Michael Kohn (Rockville, Maryland) had a team-high two hits with a double and run scored.

Game two was a different story as the Bobcats jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Vulgamore's RBI double but the two teams traded leads in the first, third and fifth innings.

Andre Marrero (West Springfield, Massachusetts) hit a two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning to take a 5-4 lead before Niagara had two runs in both the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to take an 8-5 lead.

Lutz singled home Maves in the top of the eighth inning and Danny Melnick (Hamilton, New Jersey) scored Kohn with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to pull within a run, 8-7. But the Bobcats could not complete the comeback, leaving runners on the corners to end the game.

Lutz was a remarkable 4 for 6 at the plate with a double, RBI and two runs scored in the second game while Kohn and Maves each had two hits each while Marrero reached base four times with a two-run home run and three walks.

SCORE (GAME 1)
Quinnipiac 4, Niagara 8

RECORDS
Quinnipiac (2-7) | Niagara (5-4)

LOCATION
Bobo Field | Niagara Univ., N.Y.

QUINNIPIAC SCORING PLAYS
SEVENTH INNING

Trailing 8-0, the Bobcats nearly mounted a big comeback for the in the top of the seventh inning.
Bender led off the inning with a single to shortstop and Kohn reached on a bunt single to the pitcher to put runners on first and second.
Mueller singled to right field to load the bases for the Bobcats with no outs.
Maves grounded a single up the middle that scored both Bender and Kohn for their first runs of the game.
After back-to-back outs, Marrero reached on an infield single to re-load the bases before Ostberg pulled a single to right to score Mueller.
Vulgamore was hit by a pitch to score Maves and keep the bases loaded and the tying run came to the plate but the Bobcats could not convert.

SCORE (GAME 2)
Quinnipiac 7, Niagara 8

RECORDS
Quinnipiac (2-8) | Niagara (6-4)

LOCATION
Bobo Field | Hamden, Conn.

QUINNIPIAC SCORING PLAYS
FIRST INNING

Ostberg laid down a bunt and advanced to second on a throwing error by the Purple Eagles' starting pitcher.
Vulgamore launched a pitch to left centerfield to score Ostberg easily from second and take a 1-0 lead in the game.

THIRD INNING

Quinnipiac re-took the lead in the third inning as Lutz got things started with an opposite field single and stole second base.
Marrero walked before both runners advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch.
Ostberg pulled a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Lutz easily and advanced Marrero to third base.
Marrero came around to score two batters later as Bender reached on an error by the Niagara third baseman.

FIFTH INNING

Lutz pulled a ground-rule double to right field to lead off the inning.
Marrero launched a ball over the left field wall for a two-run blast and take a 5-4 lead over the Purple Eagles.

EIGHTH INNING

Maves singled to lead off the inning and later stole second with one out.
Lutz pulled a single through the right side of the infield to score Maves and pull Quinnipiac within two runs, 8-6.
The Bobcats left the bases loaded after a Marrero walk, passed ball and Vulgamore walk.

NINTH INNING

Kohn doubled to right field to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a Mueller groundout.
After Maves walked and Niagara made a pitching change, Danny Melnick (Hamilton, New Jersey) pinch hit for Tuffy and brought home Kohn with a sacrifice fly.
After Derek Kasperzyk (Killingworth, Connecticut) came on as a pinch-runner for Maves, Lutz singled to left center but the Bobcats left runners on the corners to end the game.

NOTES

Lutz went 4 for 6 in game two of the doubleheader with a double, RBI, two runs and a stolen base as the second baseman led the offense.
Adding in two walks from game one, Lutz reached base six times Friday.
His four-hit game in game two was the second of his career and first since March 31, 2018, when he went 4 for 8 in a 28-2 win at Saint Peter's.
Lutz is leading the team with a .441 batting average.
Marrero reached base five times in the doubleheader, including four times in game two with a two-run home run and three walks.
Marrero's home run was the 15^th of his career and second of the season
His three-walk game was the third of his career and first since May 6, 2019, at Iona, and now has 77 career walks.
Kohn recorded a pair of two-hit games for the Bobcats to raise his batting average to .367 this season.
He had two doubles in the doubleheader, his first two of the season, and came around to score two runs to give him runs scored in three straight games.
Kohn extended his hitting streak to six games, batting .500 (11 for 22) in that streak.
Maves had three hits in the doubleheader for the Bobcats, going 1 for 3 in game one with two RBIs and a run scored before batting 2 for 4 with a run, walk and stolen base in game two.
He has hit in three straight games while his two RBIs were his first two of the season.
Ostberg came up big in game on with an RBI single before driving in another RBI and scoring a run in game two.
Ostberg now has four RBIs and seven runs in 2021.
Vulgamore had two more RBIs along with his fourth double of the season as he roped an RBI double in the first inning of game two.
Bender came around to score a run and drove in an RBI in the doubleheader to give him seven runs and five RBIs so far this season
Mazza made his first collegiate appearance as he pitched the final two innings of game two, striking out three batters, including the first batter he faced.
He is the sixth different Bobcat to make his collegiate debut this season.

UPCOMING GAMES

The Bobcats and Purple Eagles wrap up their series on Saturday with first pitch in game one of the doubleheader set for 11 a.m. at Bobo Field.
For more information on Quinnipiac baseball, visit gobobcats.com/baseball and follow the team on Twitter and Instagram, @TheQBaseball.