FLUSHING, N.Y. – Overcoming Thursday's evening torrential rain, the Queens College softball coaching staff got the field ready on a sunny, chilly Friday afternoon as the Knights welcomed the Cougars of Caldwell University to QC Softball Field.
But the Knights were unable to complete rallies in both games as they fell short 3-1 in game one before the Cougars blew the game open in a tied 3-3 game to win the nightcap 11-3.
The Knights had been held hitless until the bottom of the sixth inning as they trailed 3-0 heading into their final six outs of game one.
Junior
Joy Papagianopoulos (Wading River, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, R) started a one-out rally with a bunt single before freshman
Emma Zumpol (Patchogue, N.Y.) advanced Papagianopoulos to second.
Junior
Cyarra Alvarado (Coral Spring, Fla) (1-3 AB, RBI) cut the deficit down to 3-1 with a RBI single to right field to score Papagianopoulos from second. But the Cougars would end the inning with a strikeout to prevent any further damage.
As game one starter
Emma Wimmer (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) continued to keep the Knights in the game, the offense was unable to complete the rally as they dropped game one to the score of 3-1.
Game two was scoreless until the top of the fifth inning as the Knights' offense left four runners on base through four innings, while game two starter
Arianna Fracchioni (Westbury, N.Y.) was dealing a perfect game through four complete innings of play.
But the Cougars would take a 3-0 lead as they tallied two hits for three runs they taking advantage of a fielding error out in left field.
However, the Knights quickly responded as Papagianopoulos
(1-3 AB, R) opened the bottom of the fifth with a single through the left side. The junior would advance to second on a wild pitch before Zumpol
(2-3 AB, R) singled to third base as the Knights had runners on second and first with no outs.
In a nine-pitch at-bat, Alvarado
(1-4 AB, HR, 3RBI, R) battled before blasting her 10
th pitch of the at-bat for a three-run home run to tie the game 3-3 for her third home run of the season.
But the Knights would leave two runners on base as they were unable to take their first lead of the game.
The wheels would come off in the top of the sixth inning as the Cougars tallied five hits to score five runs taking an 8-3 lead before closing the game with another three runs in the top of the seventh to defeat the Knights 11-3 in the nightcap.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Amy Delmore and the Knights return to conference play as they welcome the Mavericks of Mercy College to Flushing Saturday (Apr. 9) afternoon. The first pitch is set for noon.
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