Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
FLUSHING, N.Y. – Samantha Stallone went a combined 5-for-7 with two stolen bases Sunday afternoon, as the Queens College softball team (7-7) earned a split in a doubleheader versus visiting Holy Family (3-11). The host Knights captured the first game, 6-4, behind two RBI from Kaitlyn Crowley and a 2-for-2 display by Catherine Pastor, before the Tigers took home the nightcap, 3-0, behind a six-hit shutout from Victoria Reuscher.
Game 1: Queens 6, Holy Family 4
Queens scored five runs over the first five innings of play, before holding off a charge by Holy Family – which plated four runs in the top of the sixth to make things interesting.
Pastor's triple through the right side of the infield with two outs rolled all the way to the wall in the bottom of the second inning, scoring Caroline Carbone (double). Pastor later scored on a wild pitch, giving the hosts a 2-0 advantage.
Crowley pushed the score to 3-0 in the third inning, when she ripped the first pitch she saw into right-center field for a double, scoring Anniela Vaccaro (2 R; 1-for-2) in the process.
QC then scored two runs in the fifth frame, when Crowley's right-side grounder plated Allison Breakey (one-out walk) and Caroline Carbone's double down the right-field line pushed Vaccaro across.
Buoyed by back-to-back home runs by Samantha Borelli and Cassie Fitzgerald-Black to lead off the top of the sixth, the Tigers registered a four-run sixth inning and had the bases loaded with two outs. But Queens reliever and eventual winning pitcher, Faith Tessmer (6 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, BB, 7 K) pitched out of trouble and received an additional run of support in the bottom half of the stanza when Melissa Natale's sacrifice fly scored Carla Pennolino (double).
Game 2: Holy Family 3, Queens 0
Reuscher threw 60 of her 86 pitches for strikes, and out-dueled Queens starter Bryttne Santana (CG, 13 H, 3 R, ER, 6 K). Holy Family got a solo homer to left-center by Erin Corrado in the fourth inning, and received single runs in the sixth and seventh frames when Bianca Robinson came home on an outfield error and Shauna Vennell singled home pinch runner Leigh Ann Costanzo, respectively.
QC placed runners on second base in the first, second and fourth innings, but were unable to capitalize. Reuscher also set down nine of the last 10 batters she faced to capture the victory.
Stallone went 3-for-3 in the contest, while Pastor (double), Pennolino and Crowley each rapped single hits in the contest.
Head coach Brian DeMasters and the Knights are back in action Monday afternoon (Mar. 21), when they play host to Felician in a 3 p.m. doubleheader.
