BRIDGEPORT, CONN. – As game two stater junior
Dyana Budakowski (Washingtonville, N.Y.) continued to put zeros in the circle, the Queens College softball team offense clicked with sophomore
Riley O'Connor (Maspeth, N.Y.) and junior
Jenny Murphy (East Islip, N.Y.) combining for six hits and four RBIs to lead the Knights to an East Coast Conference doubleheader split against the two-time ECC champions Purple Knights of the University of Bridgeport Saturday afternoon at Seaside Park.
Despite tallying six hits in game one, the Knights would fall 6-1 before earning the weekend split against the Purple Knights with a 7-1 game two victory.
With the win, the Knights improved to 4-11 in ECC play, while the Purple Knights moved to 13-4 in conference play.
With Bridgeport leaving the ECC for the CACC next season, the game two victory ended a 13-game losing streak to the Purple Knights in conference play as they improved their conference record to 39-27 since the 2001 season.
Saturday's win was the first win for the Knights over Bridgeport since the 2018 season and the first road win in Bridgeport since the 2016 season.
In game two the Knights tallied 12 hits for seven runs led by career days from O'Conner
(2-3 AB, HR, 3RBI, 2R, BB), Murphy
(4-4 AB, 3 2B, RBI, 2R), and Budakowski
(2-5 AB, 2B, R) as Queens tallied seven RBIs in the nightcap with O'Connor blasting her first career home run to go with a career-high three RBIs.
In the circle, Budakowski
(W, 1-4, 7.0 IP, 10H, ER, 3BB, K) followed up her batting performance to earn the complete-game win allowing 10 hits, one earned run, and a strikeout.
Queens would leave four runners on base in the first three innings, while Budakowski continued to keep Bridgeport off the board.
The Knights would finally open the scoring in the top of the fourth as senior
Marisa Sagona (North Babylon, N.Y.) earned a walk to open the inning before Murphy tallied her second double of the day to score Sagona for a 1-0 lead. After the Purple Knights got the first out, O'Connor blasted her first career home run to left field to put Queens up 3-0.
The Purple Knights would trim the Knights down to 3-1 on a RBI single but O'Connor would flash her leather to help her game two starter to get the last out of the inning to keep the visitors in front with the 3-1 lead.
Bridgeport would threaten to open the game up in the bottom half of the fifth inning, but the Washingtonville native would leave the bases load as she induced the last out to Sagona in left field.
Queens would help Budakowski with four insurance runs in the top of the sixth as they tallied six hits to take a 7-1 lead. As Murphy continued to run her hot bat with her third hit in game two to open the sixth frame, freshman
Mariah Salvatto (Manorville, N.Y.) (1-3 AB) single before a fielding error advanced both runners into scoring position. O'Connor put the Knights up 4-1 with a RBI single as Murphy scored from third. Two sac flies would put the Knights up 6-1 before senior
Ann Grimshaw (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, RBI) put Queens in a commanding lead of 7-1 as Bridgeport were down to their last six outs.
The Purple Knights would open the sixth with a walk as Budakowski allowed her second walk of the afternoon, but the Knights would execute their third double play of the afternoon to prevent any damage before Budakowski got the last out with a grounder to Grimshaw to end the sixth.
Looking to earn her first win of the season, Budakowski and her defense stayed determined as they shut the door in the seventh to earn their fourth ECC win of the season.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Amy Delmore and the Knights continue conference play on Tuesday (Apr. 19) as they welcome Molloy College Lions to Flushing. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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