by Vinny Messana
When we had Cody McPartland in studio for our BOTI Weekly show on Sunday, he didn’t seem the least bit fazed by having to face one of the best Div-II teams in the country in the NCAA East Regionals. He noted that they still have to know what he’s throwing and be able to hit it.
McPartland proved that it wasn’t just player-speak by firing a six-hit shutout with 9 Ks in Dowling 4-0 win over a potent Southern New Hampshire team (45-6), while also out dueling the East Region Pitcher of the Year in Tim Viehoff.
Both offense were dormant through six innings, but the Golden Lions broke through when Bobby Morse (4-for-4, 1 RBI) smacked a go-ahead solo HR to left center. They added some insurance runs with an RBI double by the raging-hot Tim Going (3-for-5, 1 RBI) to score Chris Appell.
They broke it open later in the inning when Kenneth Fils-Aime drove home Going and Vinny Orlando with a two-run single.
That was more than enough for McPartland, who breezed through a lineup that was hitting .309 for the season and was second in the nation in stolen bases and first in triples.
He went 1-2-3 in the ninth inning with double-barrel action going on in the Dowling bullpen.
He improved his record to 7-4 on the season and lowered his ERA to 3.12. He has a 2.41 ERA since March 18.
With the victory, Dowling will now advance in the winner’s bracket while 45-win Southern New Hampshire will face a potential two-and-out.
The Golden Lions will face the winner of Molloy-St. Thomas Aquinas, two teams they are very familiar with. Chris Cepeda is the likely starter.
