MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The Queens College baseball season got underway against 2021 NCAA East Region champions and nationally ranked #9/11 Southern New Hampshire University Penmen in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in non-conference play.
But the Knights would fall 12-7 in the season opener to the Penmen (1-1 overall) at Crosley Field Friday afternoon.
The Knights saw rookie
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) at first base,
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) at second base, and
Juan De La Rosa (Dominican Republic) at shortstop make their Navy and White debut against the Penmen. While freshman
Justin Ventura (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) made a pinch-hit appearance.
Junior
Jayson Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) led the offense with three hits, a home run, and four RBIs, while Filip and senior
Louis Antos (West Islip, N.Y.) notched three hits as Queens totaled 13 hits on the day.
How It Happened
Junior lefty
Liam Pulsipher (East Moriches, N.Y.) (4.0 IP, 6H, 2ER, 4K) earned the season opener start for the second straight but was quickly put under pressure by the Penmen offensive as Queens would find themselves trailing 7-2 after two innings of play.
Queens would cut into the deficit as Filip (3-of-5 AB, 2 2B, R) started his Knights career with a bang as he opened the bottom half of the second inning with a double to center field before Cisco (1-of-3 AB, RBI, 2R, BB) drove in the Knights' first run of the season with a RBI single through the right side. Rodopoulos would bring the Knights within five as he delivered with a sac fly to center field.
With the pitching staff struggling to find the strike zone, the Penmen would extend their advantage to 11-2 after five and a half-inning of play.
Queens would make a dent in their deficit in the bottom half of the sixth inning as the Scarsdale native Rodopoulos blasted the first home run of the season with a three-RBI blast to bring the Knights within six, 11-5.
But Queens would leave five runners on base in the final three innings of play as the Knights were unable to make further inroad and drop the season opener 12-7.
UP NEXT: The Knights will go up against Post University (CT) on Saturday (Feb. 26) afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader. Saturday doubleheader will be the first two meetings of a four-game series with both programs slated to host each other later in the season.
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