FLUSHING, N.Y. – The Queens College baseball team
(5-3 overall) got off to a strong start and never looked back as the sophomore duo of starting righty pitcher
Jordan Sanabria (Woodside, N.Y.) and right-fielder
Andrew Smith (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) led the way to defeat the visiting Eagles of Post University
(3-10 overall) Tuesday afternoon 6-3 at Hennekens Stadium.
Queens opened the scoring in the first inning of play as junior
Jayson Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) (2-3 AB, RBI, 2R, SB) was able to capitalize on a throwing error to put the Knights up 1-0 after one inning of play.
The Knights would extend their advantage in the bottom half of the second inning. With one out, the Eagles would walk the next two batters before a passed ball would advance both runners into scoring position. Making his first appearance of the season, senior
Corey Tingo (Selden, N.Y.) grounded out to third but would score the runner from third to put the Knights up 2-0. Next batter center-fielder Rodopoulos continued his hot streak with a RBI single through the left side to put Queens in a commanding 3-0 lead after two innings of play.
After pitching three straight innings of allowing one base runner, the Knights starting pitcher Sanabria would run into his first and only trouble of the day in the fourth. The Woodside native walked the first two batters he faced as the Eagles finally had a runner in scoring position but Sanabria would pitch his way out of trouble using only eight pitches to escape the inning without any damage.
The Knights would double their advantage in the bottom of the fourth on a single shot from Smith. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Smith
(1-4 AB, HR, 3RBI, R) who had been hitless in his first 24 at-bat appearances on the season found the shot he's been searching for. The Hampton Bays native saw the first pitch go for a strike before lacing the next pitch for his first career home run and first hit of the season with a three-run blast to right field to put Queens up 6-0 after four innings of play.
On the mound, Sanabria was dealing a no-hitter heading into the fifth inning. After getting the first out with his fourth punchout of the day, the Eagles would break the no-hitter with a single through the left side. But Sanabria
(W, 1-0 5.0 IP 1H, 3BB, 5K) would shutout the Eagles as he struck out the next batter with his fifth strikeout
(career-high) before ending the inning with a grounder to second base.
After being shut out for the first five innings of play, the Eagles would score over the next three innings to cut the Knights' advantage down to 6-3.
After Post homered to start the eighth and cut the Knights lead down to 6-3, senior
Stephen Castro (Bayside, N.Y.) (1.0 IP 2H, ER, K) would get the first out of the eighth with a fly out to left field before a single ended the senior's relief outing. Freshman
Joshuel Rodriguez (Bay Shore, N.Y.) (S1, 0.2 IP, BB) relived Castro to get the final two but the Eagles would put runners on second and first as he walked the first batter with the tying run up to bat.
With light fading around Hennekens Stadium, Rodriguez would get the final two on four pitches as he induced the Eagles to fly out to Smith in right field to earn his first save of the season.
With the Knights up 6-3 heading into the bottom of the eighth, the game was called due to darkness giving Queens their fifth win of the season. With the win, the Queens improved to 4-1 all-time against Post and earned their third straight victory of the season against the Eagles.
UP NEXT: On Friday (Mar. 11) the Knights welcome regionally ranked #5 and powerhouse Franklin Pierce University Ravens
(5-5 overall) to Flushing for the first time since the 2014 season. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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