The Quinnipiac Bobcats baseball team (4-12) has struggled as of late, and the woes continued on Tuesday afternoon. The Yale Bulldogs (8-6) had the Bobcats number the entire game and walked away with a 19-7 victory.

With the loss, the Bobcats continue to trend in the wrong direction as their losing streak increases to four.

Luckily for Quinnipiac, it is early in the season and there is time still to make adjustments before MAAC play begins.

Here’s how the Bobcats can turn their season around:

1. Do not allow the base runners to advance with ease

The Bulldogs were able to pile 19 runs on the scoreboard in large part due to stolen bases and wild pitches. The Bobcats had trouble with picking off the Yale base runners and they had a total of nine stolen bases by the end of the game.

These stolen bases set the Bulldogs in scoring position in almost every inning. As a result, all the Bulldogs had to do was put the ball in play and they could send a runner home. The Bobcats need to be more aware of base runners in the future, so their opponent does not get into scoring position easily.

Also, the Bobcats need to have better control over their pitches. Pitchers Anthony Ambrosino and Carter Poiry each threw wild pitches that advanced the Bulldogs’ runners to second and third base. Consequently, the Bulldogs could go to the sacrifice fly to drive in a run if the out count was in their favor. Many of the Bulldogs got on base by getting hit by pitches so if the Bobcats limited their errors on the mound, they would have been able to keep the game within their reach.

2. Prioritize contact hits over power

Quinnipiac should turn their focus from driving the ball out of the park to making contact with the ball. The Bobcats struggled to get on base throughout the Yale contest since they were either striking out or flying out. If they use the field to their advantage and change their approach to hitting, they can put more runners on bases. With that, they will have a higher chance to score more than one run per inning.

Left fielder Jared Zimbardo and shortstop McGwire Tuffy each had a triple on the day.

By getting in scoring position right away, it made the next batter’s job easier. Both Zimbardo and Tuffy were able to reach home plate by the end of the inning.

Ultimately, the Bobcats have to be strategic when they hit the ball if they want to load the bases and send runners home.

3. Underclassmen need to develop and stay consistent

The majority of the baseball team consists of underclassmen that are still trying to find their place on the team.

Sophomores Matt DeRosa and Andrew McDermott are two players to keep an eye on in the future as they have been hitting the ball with confidence.

Even though the season has not gotten off to the best start, the underclassmen have the ability to change the mentality and culture of the team if they get into rhythm down the stretch.

Next up, Quinnipiac will look to get out of the losing column on Friday as it travels to Queens, New York for a three-game series against the St. John’s Red Storm.