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| Photo Credit: Dowling Athletics |
It almost seemed too easy. The Dowling Golden Lions breezed through the regular season with a 31-13 record, beating every team that was a threat to them entering the season. They made it look even easier in the first two games of the ECC tournament, beating Bridgeport and Molloy by a combined score of 26-3. They even had a 20-6 home record to fall back on.
Somewhere along the line, it all changed. They were crushed 12-4 against St. Thomas Aquinas in a potential clinching game. While it was not the end of the line, they did not respond well in the winner-take-all deciding game.
Kyle DeMeo took the mound, and was very effective. The Golden Lions took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on an error by the third baseman. St. Thomas Aquinas responded with two-run home run by Stanley Susa. The score stood that way until the seventh inning when they added a run on a bunt single by Nicholar Gar.
DeMeo was done after seven inning, having allowed three ER, walking none and striking out three.
Down 3-1 in the ninth, with C.J. Ferriggi throwing a tremendous game, RJ Going came up huge with a game-tieing home run to bring Dowling back from the dead. Ferriggi got out of the ninth inning, having allowed two ER on the day with nine strikeouts.
In the tenth, Nick Persad hit the leadoff batter to put the winning run on base. The next batter, who was attempted a sac bunt, ended up pushing it down the line in a perfect spot resulting in two men on with none out. Head Coach Tom Caputo decided to make a pitching change, calling on Rose to put out the fire.
Derek Hirsch had other plans, however. He ended the game with a walk-off double, bringing STAC to their second straight ECC title, and leaving the Golden Lions disappointed.
It was bizarre to see a team win that had won with such ease entering the weekend, just simply struggle mightily when it really mattered.
