FLUSHING, N.Y.- Continuing East Coast Conference (ECC) play, the Queens College Knights softball team welcomed the Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas College to Flushing for a Tuesday doubleheader.
As the temperature rose to 74 degrees and playing in sunny conditions, the Knights were only able to tally four hits on the day as they dropped both games to the score of 2-1 in a closely contested game 1, before falling 6-0 in the nightcap. With the losses, the Knights moved to 2-12 ECC, while the Spartans moved to 8-1 in ECC play.
Game One: Queens College 1, STAC 2
In a closely contested game one, both teams were held to a combined seven hits but the visitors took advantage of two key errors in the top of the third inning to score the winning run.
Trailing 1-0 after one and a half-inning of play, the Knights tied the game 1-1 on two hits. After senior
Marisa Sagona (North Babylon, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, R, BB) started the home half of the second inning with a single to right center. She would advance to second on a sac bunt by sophomore
Jenny Murphy (East Islip, N.Y.) to put a runner in scoring position. With two-outs, senior
Ann Grimshaw (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, RBI) knotted the game 1-1 with a single to right center before advancing to second on a wild throw. But the Spartans would get the last out to leave Grimshaw stranded on second.
With one out in the top half of the third inning, the Spartans were able to put a runner in scoring position as two fielding errors moved the runner to second base. After the visitors stole third base, they would score the winning run before the Knights were able to get out of the inning.
With game one starter sophomore
Emma Wimmer (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) pitching one of her best outings of the season to keep the visitors' offense in check, the Knights were unable to produce their own offense as they left three runners on base, two in scoring position.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, with one-out junior
Noelle Bryggman. (Huntington, N.Y) (1-3 AB) singled to second base before advancing to second on a throwing error. But the Knights would leave Bryggman stranded on second as the Spartans got the last two out.
After Wimmer worked a 1-2-3 top of the seventh inning, Sagona worked a five-pitch walk to put a runner on base. But the Spartans starter struck out the next two batters before inducing a pop up for the last out as the visitors took game one 2-1.
Game One: Queens College 0, STAC 6
Once again the visitors took advantage of fielding errors as they went up 5-0 after three innings of play in the nightcap. But the offense was shut down for the second game in a row. The Spartans game two starter was working a perfect game as the Knights were unable to find any gaps.
Down to their last three outs, the Knights broke up the perfect game as
Cyarra Alvarado (Coral Springs, Fla) (1-3 AB) fought a seven-pitch at-bat battle with a single through the left side for the first hit of the game. But the Knights would go on to drop game two 6-0 to conclude their four-game series against the Spartans.
UP NEXT: The Knights return to action on Sunday (Apr. 25) as they travel to Buffalo, N.Y. with a matchup against the D'Youville College Saints in an ECC doubleheader. First game is slated for a noon start time.
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