Patriotes 8, Stingers 1: Concordia falls to 1-3 with recent loss
Starting pitcher Adrian Cookson gives up three earned runs through four innings
The Concordia Stingers baseball team fell to the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes 8-1 at Gary Carter Field on Sept. 12.
The Stingers now fall to 1-3 in the early stretch of the 2024 campaign. The team has put up one run in the past two games, but the struggles at the plate aren’t a concern to the coaching staff.
“I think we’ve struggled a little bit recently, but I think that the guys know the way we want to play,” first-year Stingers head coach Casey Auerbach said. “We want to play an aggressive brand of baseball, so the three-and-outs don’t necessarily bother me as long as we’re staying true to our approach.”
Stingers starting pitcher Adrian Cookson had a turbulent showing on the mound. When he pounded the strike zone, he efficiently sat down opposing hitters. His command didn’t stay consistent, however, frequently allowing baserunners in scoring position. When he hit the showers following the fourth inning, he had surrendered three earned runs off of five hits and seven walks.
“Originally, I was thinking, just attack the strike zone,” Cookson said. “I think later in the game [...] I realized I should have been throwing more fastballs. My breaking balls worked decently today, but I think I needed to have a couple innings—I think in the third inning, I only threw fastballs and I needed that to get nice and consistent again.”
The Stingers did manage to plate a runner after third baseman Miguel Garofalo cashed in right fielder Jacob Ohanian. Ohanian first laced a double into right-center field, part of a three-for-three day for the Massachusetts-born two-way player. Garofalo then slapped the RBI single by UQTR first baseman Nicolas Lépine.
The game went from bad to worse for the Stingers in the fifth inning. Kiodi Kapitsky came in to relieve Cookson, but did not manage to survive all three outs. The big right-hander gave up four hits and a walk before he was replaced by Joshua Schecter, who recorded the final out of the frame. The damage had been done, and the Stingers endured an 8-1 deficit.
Concordia dressed 14 players for Thursday’s game. A recurring theme this season has been players playing positions they hadn’t played in years past, but can still effectively produce runs.
“We’re still trying to figure out exactly who’s going to play where and who’s going to contribute,” Auerbach said. “Those things take time, so we’re learning a little bit every day, and hopefully, the players will give us the answers as to what the right lineup is at the end of the year.”
The Stingers will look to bounce back in their next match-up against the Université de Montréal Carabins. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, at Claude-Robillard Sports complex.
