Marshall Hastings
Staff Writer
All good things must come to an end. April 30 marked that end. Tuesday signified the finale of an impressive career for Springfield College pitcher Greg Markovits. Markovits put on a dazzling performance on Tuesday afternoon to help the Pride knock off visiting Keene State 1-0 on senior day. Markovits surrender seven hits and three walks while striking out five en route to his complete game shutout. The victory was his second of the season.
Despite being a captain and leader for the Pride, Markovits still had to take a step back and think about the ending.
“I definitely thought about it,” said Markovits. “I walked behind the mound and thought, ‘This is the last pitch I’m ever going to throw, hopefully,’ meaning I’m going to get him out.”
As things neared the end, Markovits went with the pitch that he had leaned upon time and time again to get big outs.
“I went with the pitch I’ve been throwing all year and has been successful for me all year, my split change. I thought about it, and I got the chills, but I went out there and tried to get him out,” Markovits recalled.
It was only fitting that in his final performance, Markovits made it one to remember, keeping the Keene State batters off balance, being threatened only once during the entire match-up in the eighth inning. With runners on second and third and two outs, Markovits induced a deep fly ball to center field from Keene State senior Greg Bates before centerfielder Steve Starr finally settled under it, ending the only major Keene State scoring opportunity on the day.
Markovits, a senior from Rocky Hill, Conn. finished his senior campaign with a record of 2-4 and an ERA of 3.72, good for fourth lowest on the team. Markovits led the Pride in innings pitched with 49.1 as well as being fourth lowest on the team in batting average against by holding batters to a .259 average. Markovits finished his three-year career at SC with a combined record of 9-9 and an ERA of 4.81.
“[I’m] happy for him [Markovits],” said head coach Mark Simeone. “He’s been a competitor since he’s been here…He’s pitched well; we haven’t scored too many runs. The fact that he wins his last two starts is really satisfying to me and I’m sure it is to him.”
“It’s emotional, finishing everything up now,” Markovits said. “You work so hard for so long. It’s been a long journey, but certainly a good one. It’s going to be tough to walk away, but walking away after a game like this makes it a little easier. I will remember this one for a long time.”
There is no clock in baseball, just the repetition of innings. But just like a swing or a throw, every game and inning must end. And following an afternoon like Markovits completed, the end couldn’t be more fitting.