Baldwin hopes to end skid

Baldwin started strong by taking its first baseball series of the season with Port Washington, winning two of the three games behind a pitching staff that allowed a total of just six runs.

The pitching held up its end of the bargain last week during a three-game series with Herricks as well, but the Highlanders swept all three games by the combined score of 20-6, with the Bruins defense and hitting falling out of sync. “The pitchers definitely pitched well enough to win games,” coach Frank Esposito said ahead of a crucial three-game series with Hicksville after presstime. “We’re getting guys on but leaving them in scoring position. We can’t put three hits together or three hits and a walk. It’s not just one person.”

In the series-finale against Herricks, Michael Duffy, one of the pleasant surprises on the team, pitched a complete game and allowed just four hits, but errors behind him played a major factor in Baldwin’s (2-8 overall, 2-4 in Conference AA-II) 5-1 loss. The Highlanders, who remained unbeaten at 6-0 in Conference AA-II with the three wins, were backed by a complete game from their own starter, Teddy Iovino. Duffy was the winning pitcher in Baldwin’s last win, an 8-3 decision on April 14, the final game of the series with the Vikings.

“He’s got very good location,” Esposito said. “He hits his corners and is very good at placing the ball.”

Having Duffy slotted in as the No. 3 starter behind seniors Jeffrey Dominguez and Brandon Hoskins, both of whom relying on their high-octane fastballs that set up their changeups. The depth of the staff is primed to develop even further with the upcoming return of another hard-thrower, junior Steven Strategakos from an injury that limited him to just two innings on the mound through late April. “We need a big series against Hicksville,” Esposito said. “If we do well we would be right back in the thick of things.

The Bruins’ lineup, which focuses more on small ball rather than generating the long ball, did provide its pitchers with plenty of support in the final two games of the series scoring a combined 13 runs in wins of 8-3 (April 14) and 5-2 (April 13). Junior Fred Lucas, a strong gap hitter, pounded out three hits and drove in three runs in support of Dominguez, who pitched a complete game and struck out eight. Seniors Mike Pereira and Connor Nelson have contributed as the tablesetters at the top of the order and both are able to drop down bunts and use their speed to get on base. “We were getting hits, making plays and the pitchers pitched very well,” Esposito said.

Following the Hicksville series, just six regular season games remain for Baldwin. Plainview is in for the start of a three-game series on Tuesday with the first pitch scheduled for 4:30 p.m. The middle game is at Plainview the next day at 4:30 p.m. The teams close out the series May 5 at Baldwin at 4:30 p.m., with the Bruins finishing up the Conference AA-II slate against East Meadow.

Editor's Note: Baldwin swept a doubleheader from Hicksville on Monday, April 25, after presstime.