FLUSHING, N.Y. (Mar. 29, 2019) – The Queens College baseball team fell into an early 6-0 hole against NYIT on Friday (Mar. 29), but a spirited comeback effort paid dividends as the Knights walked off with a 10-9 win in the series opener against the Bears at Hennekens Stadium.
 
Queens (12-8-1, 3-2 ECC) starter John Rodopoulos surrendered five earned runs on seven hits over four-plus innings of work as NYIT (12-5, 4-1 ECC) scored a run in the first inning, four in the second and one in the third. The Knights also managed just four hits against the Bears' starter Chris Mott, but did most of their damage against the bullpen.
 
Down 6-0 in the bottom of the fourth, Queens began its comeback against Mott. After Ron Linsalato was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, Louis Antos singled through the right side of the infield. Both runners advanced on a passed ball and Joe O'Rourke drove a ball to deep right field that brought Linsalato home with the Knights' first run. Queens then collected a three-run fifth inning to draw within two runs; an RBI single by Jon Strauss followed by a fielder's choice from Antos that brought home both Brian Watters and Strauss gave QC a chance with a 6-4 deficit.
 
NYIT scored three runs in the following inning, however, to keep the Knights at bay for the moment, but Queens commenced phase two of its comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning. One-out singles by Antos, O'Rourke and Eric Roubal brought in another run as QC trailed 9-5. Ronmel Ocampo was hit by a pitch to load the bases before a two-run single by Matt Gutleber closed the gap further to a 9-7 margin. Nick Font loaded the bases again with a single and Strauss drove in a run with a two-out single to left field but Gutleber was gunned down at the plate by Joseph Pesce to keep NYIT ahead by a 9-8 margin. NYIT put two runners on base in the top of the ninth inning but James McGee slammed the door on the Bears to set up the dramatic bottom of the ninth inning.
 
Linsalato led off with a walk before Antos singled up the middle to bring a runner into scoring position. A one-out double by Roubal to deep left-center brought in the tying run and Ocampo was intentionally walked to load the bases. Gutleber took the first pitch from Ariel Taveras and hit a Baltimore chop over the head of the third baseman to bring home the winning run and complete the epic come-from-behind win.
 
Antos had three hits in the win while Gutleber, O'Rourke, Roubal and Strauss each had two hits as well. Gutleber also drove in three runs including the game-ender.
 
Queens will head to Old Westbury on Saturday (Mar. 30) to take on NYIT in a doubleheader at Angelo Lorenzo Memorial Field beginning at 12 p.m.