MYRTLE BEACH, SC – It was a tough season opener for the Queens College baseball team as they opened the season against East Region powerhouse Southern New Hampshire on Friday (Feb. 25) afternoon. The Knights would drop the opener 12-7 but showed positive signs that the weekend was just beginning.
Head coach
Chris Reardon and the Knights return to Flushing on a three-game winning streak as they swept the Post University (CT) Eagles Saturday 13-12 in game one, 5-3 in the nightcap.
The Knights would conclude the trip on a high note as they defeated the Felician University Golden Falcons 17-10 Sunday afternoon to improve to 3-1 on the young season.
Queens saw new faces make their Knights color debut while the returners made improvements to their game as each player stepped up when they needed.
Game one against Post was a sluggish fest as both teams combined for 25 runs, 24 hits, and six errors. The Knights were ahead 10-2 after three innings of play but the Eagles would rally back with a touchdown in the fifth inning before tying the game an inning later.
But the tie was quickly short-lived as freshmen
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) and
Joe Leone (Bethpage, N.Y.) would deliver in the bottom half of the sixth inning. Filip would give the Knights an 11-10 allowing fellow rookie
Justin Ventura (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) to take advantage of a throwing error before scoring on a passed ball.
Leone would deliver the winning blow with a RBI double to left field as Queens took a 13-10 lead with three-inning left to play.
From offense to defense, the attention turned to sophomore
Chandler Giovinco (Selden, N.Y) and senior
Rob Backus (Merrick, N.Y.) to close out the game.
Coming off a serious injury, Giovinco started his Knights career in a positive note as he delivered in relief. The Newfield native put in 2.2 innings of work allowing only two hits, a run but struck out five Eagles on his way to earn his first career win and the Knights' first win of the season.
Backus would finish the job with two innings of work to pick up his first save of the season.
Game two against Post was on the lighter side of things as both combined for eight runs but it was the Knights who would come out on top once again.
After Post took a 1-0 lead following a sac fly in the bottom half of the 2
nd inning, freshman
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) started building a strong second basemen resume on the day. The Long Island City native would finish 4-of-8 AB with 6 RBIs and a double against Post on Saturday.
With bases loaded, Cisco delivered with a 2 RBI single to center field to put the Knights up 2-1. But the Eagle would respond twice to tie the game 3-3 heading into the last inning of play on the day.
Junior
Jayson Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) coming off a big night against SNHU would deliver in the top half of the seventh inning with a single up the middle as he drove in the winning runs giving junior lefty
Dean Fazah (Queens, N.Y.) the runs needed to pick up the win.
The All-Conference honoree picked off where he left from last season and was brilliant. The Queens native pitched a one-hitter while striking out seven in just 3.1 innings of work to help the Knights improve to 2-1 on the season and earn their first doubleheader sweep of the season.
Down to their last game of the trip against Felician University, Sunday quickly went from warm to cold with passing showers throughout the game.
Sunday's final game combined for 26 runs, 22 hits, and five errors, it began on the right note for the Knights as they scored four runs on two hits to open the inning. But what began as a favorable affair quickly evaporate for the Knights.
With the dark clouds and rain falling, the Knights opening pitchers were unable to find a sweep spot as the Falcons scored seven runs on one hit while earning five walks and led 7-4 after one inning of play.
But Queens would erase the 7-4 deficit as the first three innings read 4-1-1 signaling a call for help. Help did arrive in the top of the fourth inning as Queens put a six-hole to take a 12-7 lead.
Senior
Louis Antos (West Islip, N.Y) fittingly tied the game 7-7 as he laced the first pitch to the right-field fence and became the All-Time Hits Leader with 161 to overtake former teammate Kevin Kolesar. The West Islip entered the season needed six hits to become the new Kings of Queens and he delivered in the first four games.
Cisco's big weekend continued as he gave the Knights an 8-7 lead with a RBI double to right-center.
Sophomore catcher
Nick Barreiros (Seaford, N.Y.) afternoon was just getting started as he added two runs with a 2 RBI double down the right-field line putting Queens up 10-7.
While outfielder sophomore
Colin Diez (Levittown, N.Y.) capped off the inning with his first career home run with a two-run shot over right field giving the Knights a 12-7 lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
Barreiros would later enter his name in the record book as he tied outfielder
Eric Roubal's single-game RBI record as the Seaford native drove in seven runs on the afternoon going 3-of-5 AB with 7 RBIs, 2R, 2 2B, HR BB, falling short of a cycle.
Freshman
Joshuel Rodriguez (Bay Shore, N.Y.) who came in relief in the first inning walked three batters and gave up a hit as Felician took a 7-4 lead. But the Bay Shore native settled down in the second inning before finishing out the day pitching 4.0 innings allowing four hits, one earned run, and struck out a career-high six on the day to pick up his first win of the season.
With the wins over Post and Felician, Queens ended a losing streak against both teams as the Knights improved to 3-1 overall against Post, and trimmed their deficit against Felician moving to 4-7 overall.
UP NEXT: The Knights travel to Philadelphia, Pa as they take on Jefferson Rams Wednesday (Mar. 2) afternoon. First pitch set for 3:00 p.m.
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