FLUSHING, N.Y. – On Friday afternoon, the Queens College baseball team welcomed regional-ranked Goldey-Beacom College Lightning to Hennekens Stadium for the first home doubleheader of the season.
Playing their second regional-ranked opponent on the young season, in game one the Knights rallied behind a 3-0 deficit to score five unanswered runs behind a season-best day at the plate from senior
Reed Hoskins (Freeport, N.Y) (3-3 AB, HR, 3RBI, R) and starter junior
Jordan Sanabria (Woodside, N.Y.) (W 1-1, 6.0 IP, 5H, Er, 2BB, 3K) to earn a 5-3 victory.
In game two, missed opportunities with two base-loaded innings would prevent a doubleheader sweep as Queens fell 4-1 in the nightcap.
Over the two games, the Knights were led by Hoskins's
(3-4 AB, 3H, HR, 3RBI, R, 2BB) first three-hit game of the season, while senior
Jayson Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) (3-8 AB, R, SB) recorded his third multi-hit game of the season in the nightcap, while three other Knights recorded a hit apiece.
Sanabria led the way in game one pitching a season-high six innings of work allowing five hits, and one earned run with three strikeouts to earn his first win before junior
Danny Gargano (Middle Island, N.Y.) shut the door in the top of the seventh to earn his second save of the season.
As the weekend weather shifted the start of the series one day before scheduled, it was the Lightning who would start the game with the advantage.
In the top of the first, the visitors would tack on three hits while three fielding errors saw the Lightning take a 3-0 lead as the Woodside native looked to get settled in.
But the Knights would quickly answer back as Rodopoulos wasted no time looking at any pitches to lace a single to left field before stealing second base to open the bottom of the first.
With one out, junior
Francis Segarra (Bronxville, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, R) would get hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second before the visitors got the second out.
A balk from the Lightning starter would move the runners into scoring position before senior
Anthony Fontana (Wantagh, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, R, BB) earned a six-pitch walk to load the bases.
A wild pitch would score the first run for the Knights before a liner from Hoskins back to the Lightning pitcher cut the Knights' deficit down to 3-2.
With bases still loaded, freshman
Andrew Ramirez (Walnut, CA) walked in a run as the Knights had tied the game 3-3 before the visitors were able to get the final out.
With the game back to square one, Sanabria would settle in as he worked a clean inning in the second before working around a walk in the third to keep the game tied.
In the bottom of the third, the Lightning would get the first out before rookie
Jorsixt Jimenez (Queens, N.Y.) earned a five-pitch walk to bring up Hoskins.
Looking to overcome a tough day at the plate against Alliance Thursday afternoon, the senior battled to stay alive as he fouled three straight pitches before blasting the fifth pitch over left center field to give Queens a 5-3 lead after three complete innings of play.
The Lightning would begin the top of the fourth inning with a single before Sanabria went on to retire the next seven batters.
Queens would leave two runners on base in the bottom of the fifth but would still lead 5-3 heading into the sixth.
As Sanabria got the first batter to pop out to Segarra, a single would put a runner on base. With his pitch count over 100, second baseman Ramirez would produce a 4-6-3 double-play to get Queens out of trouble.
With Sanabria done for the day, Gargano would shut the door in the top of the seventh to earn his second save of the season and give Queens a 5-3 victory and their third straight win.
The nightcap would see the Lightning take another early lead as a failed pick off attempt saw the visitors capitalize on game two starter senior
Liam Pulsipher (East Moriches, N.Y.) (L 1-1, 4H, 2ER, 3BB, 4K) before two hits in the top of the third saw the visitors go up 4-0.
Looking to rally, with one out in the bottom half of the fourth, Fontana would earn a walk before Jimenez got hit by a pitch before Hoskins earned a walk to load the bases.
With only one out, senior
Colin Diez (Levittown, N.Y.) would be denied a hit as the Lightning right fielder made a diving catch for the second out, but the visitors would get out of the inning unscathed as Fontana left the base early for the Lightning to complete the third out and keep their 4-0 lead.
The Knights would continue to keep their visitors off the scoreboard as they looked for another rally. In the bottom of the sixth, Queens get a run back on a Jimenez single to left field to cut the score down to 4-1 heading into the final inning of play.
Down to their last three outs, the Lightning would get the first out before sophomore
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) earned a walk in a pinch hit situation to extend his reached base streak to 33 games before the Lightning got the second out.
With two outs, Rodopoulos would tally his third multi-hit game of the season with a single to center field before a walk loaded the bases bringing up Segarra.
Bases loaded and the dangerous bat of the Segarra up, Queens looked to be in position to tie the game or complete a comeback rally. But the Lightning would prevent the comeback as they induced Segarra to fly out to deep left field to earn a Friday afternoon split.
UP NEXT: On Sunday (Mar. 12) afternoon head coach
Chris Reardon and the Knights conclude the four-game series against the Lightning on the road with a doubleheader in Hockessin, Delaware. First pitch set for noon.
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at
queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook
(Queens College Athletics), Twitter
(@QCKnights), Queens College Baseball
(@QC_Baseball)and Instagram
(qcknightsny), QC Baseball
(qcbaseball)
