FLUSHING, N.Y.- Playing in sunny bright conditions, the Knights won the opening game of the ECC doubleheader 7-4 behind a career day from senior left fielder Marisa Sagona (North Babylon, N.Y.) (3-4 AB, 2RBI, R, 2SB) before the Lions used three-run fourth inning to salvage a 5-2 victory in the nightcap at QC Softball Field.
 
With the split, Queens moved to 1-3 overall, 1-3 ECC, while Molloy improved to 12-8 overall, 3-5 in ECC play. 
 
Game One: Queens College 7, Molloy 4
 
The Lions took a 1-0 after the top half of the first inning as they worked Knights game one starter Emma Wimmer(Mount Sinai, N.Y.) (1-1, 7.0 IP CG, 9H, 2ER, 3K) for two hits and one run to start the game. But the Knights would answer back in the home half of the first inning as junior shortstop Noelle Bryggman. (Huntington, N.Y) (1-2 AB, 2R, BB, SB) and freshman Cyarra Alvarado (Coral Springs, Fla) (1-1 AB, 2B, 2R, 3BB) were walked to start the home half. After senior center fielder Danielle D'Angelo, (Middle Island, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, RBI) struck out looking on an eight-pitch at-bat battle, Sagona singled to the pitcher as Bryggman plated to tie the game (1-1).
 
In the home half of the second inning, the Knights would tally five hits for three runs to take the lead for good as senior second baseman Ann Grimshaw (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, R) singled up the middle to kick off the inning. After stealing second base, freshman catcher 
Kristina Verruso (Whitestone, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, 2B, RBI) doubled to left field for her first career hit and RBI as Grimshaw scored from second giving the Knights a 2-1 lead. Bryggman advanced Verruso to third base with a sac bunt as the Lions got the first out of the inning. Alvarado continued the scoring the Knights with their second double of the inning for a 3-1 lead. D'Angelo would extend the lead (4-1) further with a single up the middle to plate home Alvarado effectively ending the Lions game one starter outing.
 
With a 4-2 lead after six and a half-inning of play, the Knights would help their own starter with insurance runs as they tallied three runs on three hits to take a 7-2 advantage. Bryggman started the home half of the sixth with a single to left-center before stealing second. As Alvarado worked her third walk of the afternoon, D'Angelo advanced both runners with a sac bunt with the hot-hitting Sagona up next. The North Babylon native tallied her third hit of the afternoon to extend the lead to 5-2. As Sagona stole second, the Lions were unable to make a play at home plate as Alvarado plated home to extend the advantage (6-2). The Knights would take a 7-2 lead behind freshman right fielder Alyssa Wilkinson (Bayside, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, RBI) single to right field as Sagona scored from second to close out the offense for the Knights. 
 
Down to their last two and trailing 7-2, the Lions were unwilling to go away without a fight as they tallied three hits for two runs in the seventh frame. The Lions would start the inning with a base runner as Wimmer dived for a popup but only for the ball to fall out as the Knights were unable to get the first out. Wimmer struck out the next batter for the first out of the Lions inning. Down to their last two outs, the Lions continued to fight as the next batter singled to right field to put runners on second and first base. Following a single to right field, Wilkinson would get the second out at second base as her throw from right field beat the Lions batter trying to extend a single into a double for the second out of the inning. The Lions cut the deficit to 7-4 with their third hit in a row. But Wimmer would end the game and pick up her first win of the season as she got the last batter to pop out to sophomore first baseman Jenny Murphy (East Islip, N.Y.).
 
Dating back to the 2019 season, Wimmer has now won three games in a row against the Lions, including two in a row at home. 
 
Game Two: Queens College 2, Molloy 5 (After six innings of play, Game 2 was called due to darkness)
 
The Knights started game two on a high note as they took an early 1-0 lead after the first inning of play. After Bryggman (2-3 AB, 2R, 2SB) reached first base following an error by the Lions third baseman, she would steal back-to-back bases with one out only. With a runner in scoring position, Sagona (2-3 AB, 2B, 2RBI) continued her hitting streak with her first double of the season to give the Knights a 1-0 lead. 
 
As the Knights game two starter freshman righty Arianna Fracchioni (Westbury, N.Y.) (0-2, 5.2 IP, 8H, 4ER, 2K) started to settle in after having allowed only one hit in three innings of work. The Knights gave their rookie pitcher a 2-0 lead after three complete innings of play following back-to-back hits by Bryggman and Alvarado (1-3 AB), before Bryggman plated home as Sagona grounded out to the Lions pitcher.
 
The Lions would respond with five unanswered runs in the third and sixth inning of the visitor's inning as they took a 5-2 lead. After the Lions started the fourth inning with a double, the Knights would get the first out of the inning as Murphy (1-3 AB) made an unassisted play for the out at first base. Fracchioni took a 1-2 count lead on the next batter before the next three pitches just missed the spot unsettling the freshman from Westbury. Taking advantage, the Lions answered with back-to-back hits to take a 3-2 lead after four and a half innings of play. 
 
As the Knights tried to answer back Grimshaw would start the home half of the fourth with a single as she took the first pitch at-bat out to center field. But the Lions defense would get the next three outs to hold a slim 3-2 lead. But as the sun started to set in Flushing, the Lions would tally insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning taking a 5-2 lead. 
 
Trailing 5-2 and darkness starting to surround the field, Sagona tallied her third straight multi-hit game of the season as she responded with a single through the left side to start the sixth inning for the Knights. Wilkinson worked a five-pitch at-bat for a walk putting runners on second and first base with the tying run up to bat. The Lions would quickly replace their starter as they went to their closer to effectively leave runners stranded on third and first as the Knights were left to split Thursdays' doubleheader dropping game two 5-2. 

 Prior to Thursday's afternoon home East Coast Conference (ECC) doubleheader against the Molloy College Lions, the Queens College Softball Knights recognized the ECC officiating crew in support of the efforts of D2 CCA and D2 ADA to recognize the P2R Officials' Appreciation Week for spring sports. 
UP NEXT: Continuing ECC play, Queens hits the road for the first time this season as they travel to Sparkill, N.Y. for a Saturday afternoon doubleheader against the Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas College (6-2 overall, 0-0 ECC). Game one is slated to start at noon. 
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