BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Queens College Knights softball team traveled to Buffalo as they went up against new East Coast Conference (ECC) member D'Youville College Saints in a Sunday afternoon doubleheader.
 
Both games went down to the wire as the Knights lost game one 3-2 on a walk-off single to center field before the game two rally fell short in the high-scoring 12-11 loss.
 
The losses move the Knights to 2-14 in ECC play, while the Saints improved to 7-11 in ECC action.
 
Senior Danielle D'Angelo (Middle Island, N.Y.) led the way with a combined five hits, four RBI performance in the doubleheader while freshman Cyarra Alvarado (Coral Springs, Fla) (3-3 AB, 2B, 3R, RBI) had her best outing in the game two loss.
 
Game One: Queens College 2, D'Youville 3

In the top of the first inning, with a runner on a base, D'Angelo (2-3 AB, 2B, 3B, RBI, BB) laced a double to left field as Alvarado advanced to third. But the left fielder misplayed the ball allowing Alvarado to plate home as the Knights took a 1-0 lead to start the game.
 
After keeping the Saints quiet through the first four innings of play, the home side responded in the bottom of the fifth to take a 2-1 lead as they tallied three hits for two runs.
 
Down to their last three outs and trailing 2-1, the Knights responded in the top of the seventh inning. After Alvarado reached first base on a fielder choice, D'Angelo knotted the game at 2-2 with a RBI triple to right center as Alvarado rounded the bases to score from first.
 
After a Saints single started the bottom of the seventh inning, the runner of first took advantage of a Knights fielding error as she advanced to third on the next play. A single to center field drove in the winning run for the home side as the Knights dropped a closely contested game one to the score of 3-2.
 
Game One: Queens College 11, D'Youville 12
 
A closely-knitted game one brought a different narrative in game two as both teams combined for 27 hits to tally 23 runs. The saints led 12-2 after three innings of play as they looked to wrap up game two quickly.
 
But the Knights had other plans as a seven-run fifth inning gave the Knights a new lifeline. After senior Jessica Hickey (Long Island City, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B, R) doubled to start the fifth inning, a fielding error would put two runners on base. Alvarado scored Hickey from second with a RBI double to left field before D'Angelo (3-5 AB, 2B, 2R, 3RBI) blasted her second double of the day to cut the score down to 12-5. The Knights would load the bases as senior Ann Grimshaw (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) (0-2 AB, R, RBI, BB) earned a walk before a single by senior Marisa Sagona (North Babylon, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, R, BB) advanced D'Angelo and Grimshaw into scoring position.
 
With no outs and bases loaded, sophomore Jenny Murphy (East Islip, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, R, 4RBI) cleared the bases with a three-RBI single to right center as the Knights cut the deficit down to four (12-8). A RBI double to left field by freshman Alyssa Wilkinson (Bayside, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B, RBI) would bring the Knights within 3 as Murphy plated home
 
The Knights looked to keep the momentum going in the sixth frame as they had loaded the bases for the second time in two innings but were only able to score two runs as they came within one before eventually falling to the final score of 12-11.
 
UP NEXT: The conference road trip continues on Tuesday (Apr. 27) as they travel to Rockville Centre, N.Y. with a matchup against the Lions of Molloy College. Game one of the doubleheader is slated for 3:00 p.m. start time. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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