FLUSHING, N.Y. – As Sunday weather in Flushing started to get warmer, the Queens College softball team offense got hot at the right time as they rallied back in game two to win 3-2 in extra innings to split the East Coast Conference (ECC) doubleheader against the visiting D'Youville College Saints at the QC Softball Field.
The Knights (3-19) fell 1-0 in game one but needed extra innings to emerge victorious over the Saints (13-17) with a 3-2 walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Game One: Queens 0, DYC 1
In game one, the Knights were held to two hits as junior
Noelle Bryggman (Huntington, N.Y) (1-3 AB) and sophomore
Emma Wimmer (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, 2B) recorded a hit apiece.
But the Knights were undone by another fielding error as the Saints scored the lone run of the game in the top of the fifth frame.
Game Two: Queens 3, DYC 2
Game two of Sunday's doubleheader remained scoreless until the Saints took a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth before adding another run in the seventh frame to extend their lead to 2-0.
The Knights had been held to three hits for the first sixth innings of play but broke out five hits in the next two innings as they rallied back in walk-off fashion. Trailing 2-0 and down to their last three outs, senior
Ann Grimshaw (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, R, RBI) started the seventh frame with a single up the middle before sophomore
Jenny Murphy (East Islip, N.Y.) (2-3 AB, R) singled to left-center as the Knights put two runners on base with no outs.
After the Saints got the first two outs, the Knights were down to their last out with freshmen
Arianna Fracchioni (Westbury, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, 3B, 2RBI) up to bat. With the tying run at first base, the Knights game two starting pitcher helped her own cause as she knotted the game 2-2 with a two-RBI triple to the right field making sure the game went into extra innings as the Knights went into extra innings just for the second time this season.
The Knights sported a 1-0 record on the season in extra innings and were looking to keep that record intact. While the Saints were looking to play senior day spoils as they looked to sweep the Sunday doubleheader as they put a runner in scoring position with one out in the top of the eighth inning. But Fracchioni and the Knights had other ideas as they stayed on course to make sure there was a split coming their way. Fracchioni producing her best outing of the season and looking to get her first career win continued to work hard as she got the second out with her third strikeout of the day before inducing the last batter to pop up to Grimshaw.
Freshmen
Kristina Verruso (Whitestone, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, R) wasted no time as she laced the first pitch out to the right field as the Knights quickly put a runner on base. Bryggman advanced the freshman to second with a sac bunt. Verruso advanced to third base as freshmen
Cyarra Alvarado (Coral Springs, Fla) grounded out to second base as the Knights were once again down to their last batter, and the Saints looking to extend the game.
With the winning run at third and Grimshaw up to bat, the New Hyde Park native made sure the game did not extend to the ninth. She looked at the first pitch go for a ball before delivering with a walk-off single to the infield as the Saints were unable to get the last out allowing Verruso to plate home setting off senior day celebration as the Knights stormed Grimshaw.
Prior to the start of game one, head coach
Amy Delmore and the Knights honored their four seniors in Grimshaw,
Jessica Hickey (Long Island City, N.Y.), Marisa Sagona (North Babylon, N.Y.), and
Danielle D'Angelo (Middle Island, N.Y.).
UP NEXT: The Knights will conclude the 2021 season with a Tuesday (May 4) doubleheader as they welcome the Mavericks of Mercy College in ECC action. Game one is slated for 2:30 p.m. start time.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), Twitter (@QCKnights), and Instagram (qcknightsny).
