There is nothing quite like a pitchers’ duel to signal the start of spring.
Brian Friedman struck out nine in nine innings of play for the Knights, but his teammates failed to deliver the key hits, as Queens College lost their first East Coast Conference (ECC) Division II contest of the year, 1-0, to Dowling College in Flushing on Friday, March 19.
The opener of the three-game weekend set proved to be the lone pitching duel, as the teams played a doubleheader the following afternoon. The Knights lost the first game 5-1, but were able to salvage a split, beating the Golden Lions by the same score in the nightcap.
The Knights’ victory in the second game of the twin bill snapped a six-game losing streak in which the team managed only three runs. The hitting malaise is something that head coach Tom Sowinski knows the Knights (5-8, 1-3 ECC) must jumpstart in order to compete this season.
“The run-scoring is a big problem and it is going to follow us, but it is a problem that we need to solve,” said Sowinski. “More than anything else, we need to work on our mental approach at the plate.”
One of Sowinski’s players whose mental approach is right where it needs to be is pitcher Brian Friedman. The senior hurler continues to be a bright spot in the young season for Sowinski, especially after his gutsy performance on Friday.
“Friedman had some really good stuff out there [on Friday],” said Sowinski. “He threw his fastball for strikes, his changeup was working; we just could not score any runs for him.”
Friedman’s only blemish in the box score came in the fifth inning when he surrendered a leadoff double to Dowling’s Taylor Bargiacchi. The sophomore catcher would score two batters later after Steve Morse hit a line shot off the glove of Knights’ third baseman Wei Chang.
It was all the run support Dowling pitcher Gabriel Duran would need as the right-handed senior scattered four runs and struck out 14 over eight innings of work.
Buddy Cipoletti relieved Duran, falling behind on the first batter he faced 3-0, but rallied to retire the side and earn the save for Dowling (6-5, 3-1 ECC).
“We have to stop making it so easy for the other team,” said Sowinski. “Our only chance of putting together some wins is to be a little smarter at the plate and make it tougher on their pitchers.”
