CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

Brookville, N.Y. - The Queens College softball team opened the East Coast Conference Championship by outhitting the Molloy Lions, 5-4, in a 2-0 loss from Brookville, New York on Friday.  The game was delayed 24 hours due to inclement weather.

The Knights started All Conference, Second Team selection, Monique Roberge in the circle, and the junior gave the team three strong innings.  She also helped QC with her bat.

In the first, Samantha Mattsson hit a two-out single up the middle.  Roberge followed with a double to left that put runners on second and third for the ECC Rookie of the Year, Kayla Morrissey.  Morrissey popped up and the game remained scoreless.

Queens got another runner in scoring position in the second when Kaitlyn Crowley reached on a single.  She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a fly out.  However, the Knights were unable to get her home.

Molloy got on the board in the second when Milan Botte hit a solo home run to right.  In fact, Botte accounted for the only runs in the game with a pair of solo homers.

The Knights never threatened the rest of the way and The Lions had a 2-0 win.  Roberge felt o 15-5 on the year with the loss.  Isabelle Yaroch threw three innings of relief and gave up just one run.  Morrissey and Alicia Gonzalez had the other QC hits.

The team returns to action on the ECC Championship on Saturday, May 3.  They face Dowling College in the loser's bracket of the Championship.  The first pitch between the Knights and Golden Lions is slated for 1:30 PM.  The winner of that contest plays later on Saturday against the loser of the LIU Post-Molloy matchup.