FLUSHING, N.Y. – East Coast Conference play returned to Hennekens Stadium as the Queens College baseball team welcomed the Lions of Lincoln University to Flushing for the first time.
But as the overnight rain pushed the game to start 30 minutes later than scheduled and dark clouds were still present over Hennekens Stadium when the first pitch was thrown, the Knights were just warming up to what was to come in the opening game of the three-game East Coast Conference series in Flushing.
The Knights tallied 15 hits with five home runs as they scored 16 runs with seven Knights notching RBIs, while game one starter Graduate student
Julien Arcos (Glenwood, N.Y.) (W, 3-1, 9.0 IP, 8H, BB, 11K) fired his first complete-game shutout with a career-high 11 strikeouts to defeat the Lions Friday afternoon.
With the win, the Knights improved to 10-9 overall, 4-0 in conference play, while the Lions moved to 4-21 overall, 0-4 in conference play.
It was a game that started with a bang as junior
Jayson Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) (3-5 AB, HR, RBI, 2R) led off the game with a solo shot to left-center field with his third home run of the season. Freshman
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, HR, 2RBI, 2R) singled through the left side before senior
Louis Antos (West Islip, N.Y) (3-4 AB, 2B, HR, 2RBI, 3R) blasted a two-run home run to left-center field for his third straight home run in conference play to put the Knights up 3-0.
With no outs, sophomore
Reed Hoskins (Freeport, N.Y.) (2-2 AB, 2B, HR, RBI, 2BB) doubled to left field before advancing to third as sophomore
Colin Diez (Levittown, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, R, BB) singled to left field.
The Lions would finally get two outs as freshman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, 2B, 3RBI, R, BB) grounded into a double play but Hoskins would score from third to extend the advantage to 4-0.
Freshman
Justin Ventura (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, RBI, 2R) kept the inning going with a single to third basemen. Ventura would steal second before a throwing error advanced him to third but the rookie would capitalize on a fielding error by the center-fielder to score the fifth run of the first inning.
With the Knights leading 5-0 after one complete inning of play, Arcos went into work as he struck out two batters before getting the last out of the inning in foul ball territory. The Lions would get a clean bottom in the second inning.
After Arcos struck out the first Lions batter of the third inning, the visitors would tally their first hit of the game with a single through the left side. But the Glenwood native was unfazed as he worked out of the inning in six pitches to leave the runner stranded at first.
Queens would extend their advantage to 7-0 on two hits in the home half of the third as Antos opened the inning with a double down the left-field line before Hoskins earned a walk. Diez advanced both runners with a sac bunt before Filip drove home Antos with a double to center field to put the Knights up 6-0. Ventura put the Knights up 7-0 as he grounded out to the shortstop.
Dealing with a 7-0 lead, Arcos would run into his first trouble of the day as the Lions led off the fourth with a single up the middle. But he would the first out as he got the next batter to line out to Antos at third base. The visitors would tack on another single putting runners on second and first. Arcos took matters into his own hands as he struck out the last two batters to tie a career-high seven strikeouts in four complete innings of play.
Already leading 7-0, the Knights' offense put the exclamation mark in the bottom half of the fourth with eight runs on five hits as Queens batted around sending 13 batters to at-bat.
After the Lions got the first out, Rodopoulous singled to right field before advancing to second on a balk. Cisco blasted his first home run in conference play and second of the season with a two-run blast to left field putting the Knights up 9-0.
Antos continued his hot bat with his second double and third hit of the afternoon to keep the inning going. The Knights would earn back-to-back walks to load the bases before Filip drove home two runs with a two-RBI single through the left side putting the Knights up 11-0. Next batter Ventura would get hit by a pitch to load the bases once again.
Sophomore
Nick Barreiros (Seaford, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, 4RBI, R) saw the two pitches but found the third one to his liking as he blasted the Knights' first grand slam of the season to left field as Queens went 15-0 after four innings.
It was a quick 1-2-3 inning for Arcos as he ended the fifth inning using only six pitches including a new career-high eight strikeouts.
In the bottom of the fifth, Hoskins blasted the Knights fifth home run of the afternoon to give the home side a 16-0 lead.
With a commanding lead of 16-0, Arcos would seal the deal as he dealt his first complete game of the season as the graduate student used 113 pitches to earn his second ECC win in a row.
Notables:
- The Knights have tallied a home run in five straight games and three in a row in conference play.
- For the third time this season, Queens' offense has tallied three or more home runs in a single game.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Chris Reardon and the Knights conclude the three-game ECC series against the Lions with a Saturday (Apr. 2) afternoon doubleheader. The first pitch is set for noon.
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