FLUSHING, N.Y. – Junior
Cyarra Alvarado (Coral Spring, Fla) (5-7 AB, 3 2B, R, 3RBIs) had herself a day at the plate tallying five hits in seven at-bats with three doubles and three RBIs but the Queens College softball team would leave Bob Klein Field with two losses in East Coast Conference play against Molloy College Lions Tuesday evening.
Just eight games in Alvarado is off to a hot start as she leads the Knights with 10 hits, four doubles, four RBIs and is three hits and a double away, and two RBIs from tying her 2021 season numbers.
The Knights tallied 19 hits in the Tuesday doubleheader as they belted a season-high 11 hits and six runs in game one but the Knights would drop game one to the score of 9-6. The Lions would rally back in game two as they put up four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to steal game two to the score of 4-1.
Molloy got off to quick start as they tallied four runs in the home half of the first inning before Queens got a run back in the top of the second inning. A single by freshman
Amanda Baez (Selden, N.Y.) (2-3 AB, R, RBI, SB) started the top of the second inning before stealing second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Lions catcher.
After the Lions got the first out,
Katherine Gallagher (Orlando, Fla) (1-2 AB, R, RBI, BB) drove in Baez as the Knights cut the deficit down to 4-1. But Molloy would get the next two out to evade further damage.
But the home side would get a run back in the bottom half of the inning as they extended their lead to 5-1. It would be a scoreless third for both teams before the Knights put up four runs on three hits in the top half of the fourth to tie the game 5-5.
Senior
Ann Grimshaw (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, BB) started the inning with a single to center field before a single by sophomore
Alyssa Wilkinson (Bayside, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, R) had the Knights with runners on second and first. Gallagher worked a walk loading the bases before freshman
Emma Zumpol (Patchogue, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, RBI) grounded out to the Lions shortstop but had done enough to score the second run of the game for the Knights.
Junior
Joy Papagianopoulos (Wading River, N.Y.) got hit by a pitch to load the bases for the Knights for the second time in the inning bringing up the hot bat of Alvarado. The Floridan saw the first two pitches go for balls before she blasted a ball into right-center field clearing the bases for her second double of the game and knotted the game 5-5.
As the Knights' offense was starting to click, the Lions would quickly reclaim the lead with three runs in the bottom half of the fourth on three hits before adding another run in the bottom of the sixth to take game one to the score of 9-6.
Game two was another close affair as the Knights' defense kept the visitors in the front for the first four and a half innings of play.
Alvarado continued her career day going as the junior battled for the first 10 pitches of the game before she blasted the 11
th pitch of the at-bat for her third double of the afternoon down the left-field line. Papagianopoulos advanced her teammate to third on a sac bunt before senior
Danielle D'Angelo (Middle Island, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, RBI) drove Alvarado from third with a single up the middle giving the Knights an early 1-0 lead.
In the circle, junior
Dyana Budakowski (Washingtonville, N.Y.) made her second career start and quickly went to work putting in stellar four shutout innings as she limited the Lions bats to just three hits.
But the Knights' offense would halt as they were unable to add insurance runs to help their starting pitcher. Budakowski having shut out the Lions bats through the first four innings of play ran into trouble in the bottom half of the fifth. The Lions rallied back on six hits to tack on four runs before the defense closed out the game as they completed Tuesday's conference doubleheader with a sweep taking game two to the score of 4-1 victory over the Knights.
UP NEXT: It will be a quick turnaround for head coach
Amy Delmore and the Knights as they travel to Rindge, New Hampshire on Wednesday (Mar. 23) afternoon with a non-conference matchup against the Ravens of Franklin Pierce University. The first pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.
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), Queens College Softball
(@qcsoftball) and Instagram
(qcknightsny), qcsoftball
(@qcsoftball)
