Flushing, N.Y. - The Queens College softball team improved to 9-2 in East Coast Conference play with a pair of wins over St. Thomas Aquinas, 7-1 and 10-2.

The two games were part of Epidermolysis Bullosa awareness day at QC as the team honered several children stricken with the disease.  One of the children infected, Robbie Twible, the son of QC Assistant Athletics Director, Rob Twible, threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.  The team wore special uniforms and made posters to commemorate the day.  Additionally, fund raisers were conducted through a 50-50 raffle and other raffle prizes.

The first game saw the Knights jump out to a 4-0 lead with a run in the third and three more in the fourth.  Nicole Pirretti led off with a double to right.  She moved to third on a ground out and came in to score on an RBI ground out.  In the fourth, with two outs, Kayla Morrissey singled.  Stevianne Ognibene followed with another base hit and Pirretti blasted a home run to center.

STAC got one back in the fifth to trail 4-1, but QC responded with three more in their half of the inning.  With two outs, Samantha Mattsson homered off the tennis bubble.  Kyle Spillett followed with a double and came in on a Morrissey RBI hit.  Ognibene followed with a run-scoring single and the Knights went on to win 7-1.

ToniMarie Valeriano improved to 8-4 with the win.  As a team, the Knights slugged 13 hits.

Queens jumped out to an 8-0 lead in game two.  Cat Pastor singled and stole second.  Monique Roberge drove her in with an RBI single.  Two innings later, QC made the lead 3-0 by scoring twice.

Alicia Gonzalez led off with a walk.  Valeriano drove her in with a double.  Later in the inning, Morrissey got an RBI with a ground out.

Queens scored five times in the fifth.  Pirretti ripped a double and scored on an error.  Pastor reached third on the miscue and came in on a Gonzalez single.  Later in the inning, Ognibene intentionally got herself into a rundown between first and second allowing Mattsson to score the fourth run of the inning.  Finally, Morrissey ripped a triple to right and Ognibene came in to score.

STAC scored twice in the fifth to continue the game, but QC finished the ordeal with a run each in the fifth and in the sixth.  Queens got two runners on base due to errors and Roberge made the score 9-2 in the fifth with an RBI single.  In the sixth, Ognibene singled and scored from first on a single by Morrissey and throwing error from the right fielder.

The Queens College softball team returns to action on Sunday, April 12, when they face NYIT on the road.  The first pitch is slated for noon.