FLUSHING, N.Y. - The Queens College baseball team slugged out 13 hits Tuesday afternoon at Ray Metski Field, as the Knights picked up their first East Coast Conference victory of the 2012 campaign with a 9-5 triumph over visiting Mercy College.

Junior Steven Varela (Glendale, N.Y.; 1.1 IP of relief, first save of season) hit a solo homer in the bottom of the second inning to chase the Mercy starting pitcher, just one inning after QC overcame a 2-0 deficit and turned it into a 3-2 lead that it would never relinquish. Classmate Warren Kelly (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) scored three runs, while freshman Nick LoBello (Baldwin, N.Y.) went 3-for-4 with a double. Sophomore Joe Salanitri (W. Islip, N.Y.) picked up the victory on the hill for the Knights, scattering nine hits and eight strikeouts over 7.2 innings pitched, while also batting 2-for-4 with a stolen base.

Junior Anthony Mazzella (Wantagh, N.Y.; 2-for-5, double) and sophomore Mike Shada (Holbrook, N.Y.) drove in two runs apiece for head coach Tom Sowinski's Queens squad, who is back in action Friday afternoon in a 3:30 p.m., non-conference contest at Pace University.