LEWISTON, N.Y. – Defense and offense were on the same page as the Queens College baseball team opened East Coast Conference play with a 5-2 victory over the Saints of D'Youville University Friday afternoon at Bobo Field.
With the win, Queens ended a five-game skid improving to 6-8 overall, 1-0 in ECC, while D'Youvile moved to 6-7 overall, 0-1 in conference action.
Graduate student
Julien Arcos (Glenwood, N.Y.) (W 2-1, 7.0 IP, 3H 2ER, 2BB, 7K) earned the game one start of the series and dealt seven solid innings allowing three hits, two earned runs and struck out a career-high seven batters to pick up his second win of the season.
The Knight tallied 10 hits on the afternoon with four players notching multi-performance with junior
Jayson Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, 2B, R, RBI), sophomore duo of
Nick Barreiros (Seaford, N.Y.) (2-3 AB, 2B, R, RBI), Andrew Smith (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, 2B, 2R, BB) and freshman
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, R, SB) leading the way.
After a scoreless first inning, the Knights got the board first as Smith opened the top half of the second inning with a double before Cisco extended his hitting streak and advanced Smith to third with a single to right field.
With no outs, Barreiros brought home Smith a sac fly to center field before sophomore
Colin Diez (Levittown, N.Y.) doubled the Knights advantage scoring Cisco from third.
With two runs behind him, Arcos retried 11 straight batters including three straight innings of facing the minimum.
After retiring his 11
th straight D'Youville batter, Arcos would walk the next two batters before a wild pitch put both runners in scoring position. But the Glenwood native would end the inning with back-to-back strikeouts keeping the Knights in front.
The Knights' offense would tack on insurance runs for their starter as they added a run in the fifth, sixth, and seven inning of play.
Having allowed only one hit through the first six innings of play, Arcos would surrender two runs as D'Youville prevented the shutout on a two-run home run before getting the last out to end the seventh with the Knights leading 5-2.
Head coach
Chris Reardon turned to sophomore
Danny Gargano (Middle Island, N.Y.) (S, 2.0 IP, H, BB, 2K) to close out the game. After allowing a hit to open the bottom half of the eight, the Knights defense would get the first out as they caught the Saints stealing second before Gargano struck out the last two batters to end the eighth inning.
Gargano would pick up his first save of the season as he got the first two batters to fly out to left field and line out to second base. He would walk the next batter before inducing the last out of the game to line out to shortstop to open ECC play on a high note.
Notable: For the first time since the 2008 season when Queens defeated Dowling College 4-2, the Knights open conference play with a victory.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Chris Reardon and the Knights conclude the three-game series against D'Youville with a Saturday (Mar. 26) afternoon doubleheader. The first pitch is set for noon at Niagara University, Bobo Field.
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