SPARKILL, N.Y. - On a cold and windy Tuesday afternoon, The Queens College softball team dropped both ends of an East Coast Conference double header to the St. Thomas Aquinas Spartans. The Knights lost a close one in game one 4-3 before falling 12-2 in game two. The Knights moved to 7-13, 4-7 ECC, while the Spartans improved to 10-17, 5-9 in ECC play.

GAME ONE:

In the top of the fifth Inning, the Knights jumped ahead 2-1 when sophomore ToniMarie Valeriano blasted her third home run of the season. The Spartans would answer in the bottom of the fifth as Amanda Leone single brought home Brittany Mangan to tie the game. One Batter later, Nikolette Nevola brought home Kelcy McGeehan to take a 3-2 lead.

Not willing to go down without a fight, Queens answered in the top of the seventh as junior Stevianne Ognibene tripled to bring home sophomore Alyssa Neal to knot the game at 3-3. However the Knights were unable to take the game into extra innings with two outs, as throwing errors forced the game winning run for the Spartans in the bottom of the seventh.

Valeriano (4-6) gave up 10 hits, four runs and struck out a career high 10 in the circle to take the loss. While Julie Sosnicki (3-10) picked up the win with a complete game giving up seven hits, three runs and struck out two.

GAME TWO:

The QC bats went cold once again as they did not have an answer to the Spartans game two hitting onslaught. The Knights fell in the hole early 3-0 after the first inning but fought back in the top of the second to cut the lead to 3-2. Freshman Lauren Pascual singled to bring home sophomore Victoria Carlo and junior Kayla Morrissey. St. Thomas Aquinas would build up their advantage by 10 by taking a 12-2 lead after four innings to which the Knights had no answer to.

Morgan Starley (2-2) gave up 10 hits, eight earned runs and stuck out six in the five inning game. Brianna Keaveney (6-5) got the win giving up four hits, two earned runs, while striking out four.

UP NEXT: Queens continue their four game road trip as they travel to Old Westbury, N.Y. on Saturday for an East Coast Conference Double header against the NYIT Bears with game one slated for 11:00 am from the Softball Complex.