DOBBS FERRY, N.Y.- On a sunny Tuesday afternoon East Coast Conference (ECC) action continued for the Queens College Knights softball team as they traveled to Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. with a matchup against the Mercy College Mavericks.

But the Knights left a total of 16 runners on bases and made seven fielding errors as they dropped both games of the doubleheaders to the Mavericks, 5-4 and 9-1.

The two losses moved the Knights to 1-7 in ECC play, while the Mavericks improved to 7-1 in ECC action. 
 
Game One: Queens College 4, Mercy 5
 
The Knights jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after the top half of the first inning on two hits. Junior Noelle Bryggman (Huntington, N.Y) (3-4 AB, RBI) tallied one of her game-high three hits to start the Knights day before a sac bunt from freshman Cyarra Alvarado (Coral Springs, Fla) advanced Bryggman to second. Senior Danielle D'Angelo, (Middle Island, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, RBI) drove in the first run for the Knights with a single to center field. Next at-bat classmate Marisa Sagona (North Babylon, N.Y.) worked a walk putting runners on second and first. With only one out, the Knights took a 2-0 lead as D'Angelo plated home as Mavericks took the second out at second base. The Mavericks would get the third out at second base on a fielder's choice but the Knights had done the damage to start the game. 
 
The Mavericks responded in the home half as they tallied two hits for one run to cut into the Knights deficit off of game one starter sophomore righty Emma Wimmer (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) (1-3, 6.1 IP, 11H, 5R, 4ER, BB, K). The Knights tried to respond in the second inning but left two runners on base on two hits as the Mavericks' defense kept the Knights' offense quiet. 
 
Following back-to-back hits to start the home half of the third inning, the home side would score two runs to take a 3-2 lead as the Mavericks took their first lead of the afternoon taking advantage of throwing errors by the Knights defense.
 
In the top of the fifth inning, the Knights would reclaim the lead as senior Ann Grimshaw (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, R) singled to center field to start the inning before a double to right-center by sophomore Jenny Murphy (East Islip, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B, R) put runners in scoring position with no outs. The Mavericks would get the first out of the inning as freshman Alyssa Wilkinson (Bayside, N.Y.) (1-4 AB) flew out to right field but the Knights were unable to tie the game. Senior Jessica Hickey (Long Island City, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, RBI, BB) would knot the game at 3-3 as she flew out to center field allowing Grimshaw to plate home. Bryggman would score Murphy from second with a single to center field to give the Knights a 4-3 lead. 
 
The Knights would shut any scoring threat in the home half of the fifth. But the Mavericks would tie the game in the sixth inning with two outs as throwing errors would allow a runner to score from second. Wilkinson would start the seventh inning with a single to right field, but Hickey would ground into a double play as the Mavericks shut out the scoring threat. 
 
With the game tied 4-4, the Mavericks took game one 5-4 on a walk-off double to center field. The Knights left 11 runners on base including two bases-loaded situations in the fourth and fifth inning as Wimmer took a hard-fought game one loss. 
 
Game Two: Queens College 1, Mercy 9 (5 Innings)
 
As the Knights continued to make fielding errors, the home side would make the Knights pay. After Freshman righty Arianna Fracchioni (Westbury, N.Y.) (0-4, 4.0 IP, 8H, 9R, 2ER, 2K, BB) making the game two start got two quick Mavericks out to start her outing, a dropped fly by Grimshaw in the right field would continue the home half of the inning. The Mavericks tallied back-to-back hits on Fracchioni as they took a 2-0 lead. 
 
Trailing 4-0 after two innings of play, the Knights would respond in the third inning. With two outs, Alvarado (0-2 AB, R, BB) worked a walk to continue to the inning. D'Angelo (1-3 AB) executed a first-pitch bunt single to put runners on second and first as the Mavericks were unable to make the last out. Sagona (1-2 AB, RBI) drove in Alvarado from second with a single to center field as the Knights cut the deficit down to 4-1. 
 
But as Fracchioni worked a quick 1-2-3 third inning, the Knights were unable to take advantage in the top of the fourth. Freshman Riley O'Connor (Maspeth, N.Y.) (1-1 AB, BB) started the fourth frame with a single before a Grimshaw (1-2 AB) single would put runners on second and first. With no outs, next at-bat Wilkinson grounded into a double play before Classmate Kristina Verruso (Whitestone, N.Y.) grounded out to second base as the Mavericks got three quick outs to shutout the Knights scoring threats. 
 
But the Knights were left ruing defensive errors as they would go on to drop the nightcap 9-1 in five innings. 
 
UP NEXT: The Knights continue the road trip in non-conference action with a trip to Caldwell, N.J. as they go up against Caldwell University Cougars (6-7-1) in a Thursday (Apr. 15) afternoon doubleheader. Game one is slated for 2:30 p.m. start time. 
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