PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Continuing non-conference action, the Queens College softball team traveled to Pleasantville, New York for the first time since the 2018 season as they matched up against the Setters of Pace University Thursday afternoon at Pace Softball Field.
But the Knights would drop two closely contested games as they fell 1-0 in game one pitcher's duel before a comeback rally fell short in game two to the score of 6-5.
It was a pitcher's duel in game one as Senior
Emma Wimmer (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) took the circle. Wimmer matched the Setters' starter as they combined for five hits but it would be the home side who would emerge victorious in game one.
The Knights were limited to one hit coming off the bat of senior
Danielle D'Angelo (Middle Island, N.Y.) (1-3 AB). Game one was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning as the Setters scored the winning run on a sac fly to center field.
In the top half of the sixth, junior
Joy Papagianopoulos (Wading River, N.Y.) would earn a one-out walk as they looked to respond back. But the Setters would escape the inning without any damage.
D'Angelo opened the final inning of the game with a single as the Knights looked to tie the game but the Setters would take game one to the score of 1-0 as the Pace defense ended the game with back to back strikeouts.
Game two was a different narrative as both teams combined for 11 runs on 16 hits. But once again it was the Setters who would score first as they took a 6-0 lead after two innings of play.
As the Setters looked to end the game early, the Knights responded with two hits to cut the score down to 6-1. Papagianopoulos
(2-3 AB, 2B, RBI, R) opened the third inning with a double down the left-field line before freshman
Caroline Pescatore (North Babylon, N.Y.) advanced her teammate to third with a sac bunt. After the Setters got the second out, freshman
Amanda Baez (Smithtown, N.Y.) (2-2 AB, 3B, RBI, 2R, 2BB) drove home Papagianopoulos from third with a RBI single to center field.
Junior
Myaisha Kelly (Albany, N.Y.) came in relief and shut out the Setters as she limited the Setters' offense to three hits over 4.1 innings of work with three strikeouts as Queens made their comeback attempt.
The Setters would get the first two outs of the fourth inning before the Knights put runners on second and first with a walk and hit by pitch. Papagianopoulos would drive in the second run for the Knights with a RBI single as Queens cut the deficit down to 6-2.
With Kelly continuing to shut out the Setters, the Knights was starting to click. They would cut the score in half in the top of the fifth as senior
Ann Grimshaw (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B, RBI) delivered with a RBI double down the left-field line driving home Baez from second.
As the Setters got a clean sixth inning, the Knights were down to their last three outs of the game as they entered the top of the seventh down 6-3. But Pace would get the first two out before Baez extended the game with her first triple of the season. D'Angelo brought the Knights within one with her first home run of the season as she blasted a two-out two-RBI home run to center field as Queens cut the score down to 6-5.
But the Setters would hold on for the win as they turned to the bullpen for the last out and the Setters reliever would get Grimshaw to ground out to shortstop to end the game.
UP NEXT: East Coast Conference play returns Saturday (Apr. 2) afternoon as head coach
Amy Delmore and the Knights welcome the Saints of D'Youville College to Flushing. The first pitch is set for noon.
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