FLUSHING, N.Y. – Looking to keep their East Coast Conference play momentum going, the Queens College baseball team went toe-to-toe with nationally-ranked #22 Molloy College Lions Friday afternoon, but fielding errors would haunt the Knights as they fell 8-5 in game one of the series at Hennkens Stadium.
With the loss, the Knights moved to 21-12 overall, 13-3 in ECC play, while the Lions improved to 29-11 overall, 14-2 in conference action.
The Lions went to work early as they looked to open the scoring on back-to-back singles with one out in the opening frame, but game one starter graduate student
Julien Arcos (Glenwood, N.Y.) (5.2 IP, 8H, 2ER, 2BB, 3K) worked out of his first jam to keep the game scoreless.
But the visitors would strike first in the top of the third as a throwing error moved the Lions runner 90 feet away before a single gave Molloy a 1-0 lead. Arcos would get three outs to keep the game 1-0.
The Knights wasted no time in tying the game as freshman
Juan De La Rosa (Dominican Republic) (3-3 AB, 2B, HR, RBI, 3R, BB) opened the bottom frame with a double to right field. Queens would tie the game 1-1 with a RBI single from freshman
Justin Ventura (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) through the right side.
After Acros' worked out of another jam in the top of the fifth, Queens would take their first lead as Rosa blasted his third home run of the season to give Knights a 2-1 lead. Ventura would earn a walk but the Lions would get two outs as they looked to minimize the damage but freshman
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, 2B, 2RBI, BB) would deliver with a RBI double to left-center giving the Knights a 3-1 lead as Ventura scored from first.
But the lead would be short-lived as Molloy responded in the next frame to tie the game 3-3 before scoring two runs in the seventh to take a 5-3 lead.
The Knights would leave a runner stranded on first in the next frame before the Lions tallied a run in the seventh and two runs scored on a fielding error in the ninth.
Trailing 8-3 and down to their last three outs, Rosa would cap off his day with his third hit of the afternoon to start a comeback rally with a single to left-center. A passed ball would allow Rosa to advance to second before Ventura reached on a fielding error by the third basemen. Queens turned to sophomore
Andrew Smith (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) (1-1 AB, RBI) in a pinch-hit situation and quickly rewarded the decision with a RBI single to center field to bring the Knights within four, 8-4.
After the Lions got Smith out on a fielder's choice, Cisco brought the score down to 8-5 with a sac fly out to right field as Ventura scored from third.
But the Lions would get the last out with a fly out to right field to take game one to the score of 8-5.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Chris Reardon and the Knights conclude the series in Uniondale, N.Y. on Saturday (Apr. 30) afternoon against the Lions at Mitchel Field. The first pitch is set for noon.
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