HOCKESSIN, DEL. - On Sunday afternoon, the Queens College baseball team concluded their four-game series against regional-ranked Goldey-Beacom College Lightning at Doyle Field.
Having split the Friday afternoon doubleheader, Queens
(5-4 overall) would earn their third doubleheader split of the season defeating the Lightning
(10-7 overall) in game one 5-4 before falling short in game two 11-5.
In game one, the Knights tallied seven hits led by junior
Francis Segarra (Bronxville, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, HR, 2RBI, 2R), sophomore
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, RBI) and sophomore
Mike Freda (Dix Hills, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, RBI) with Filip driving in the game-winning run in the top of the fifth.
On the mound, rookie
Christopher Naronis (Floral Park, N.Y) (W 1-1, 4.0 IP, 3H, 3ER, 3BB, 3K) earned his first career win, while junior
Danny Gargano (Middle Island, N.Y.) (S3, 3.0 IP, 1H, 3K) earned his second consecutive save against the Lightning and third overall of the year.
After the Lightning got the first out to begin the game, sophomore
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, R, BB) would extend his reached base streak to 34 with a single up the middle before Segarra blasted his second home run of the season to give Queens an early 2-0 lead.
Naronis would begin his outing on the mound allowing a single but would work out of the inning without any trouble including a caught stealing effort before getting the third out with a strikeout.
Queens would extend their lead to 4-0 in the top of the second inning as they began the inning with two straight walks before a Lightning field error loaded the bases.
Freda would put the Knights up 3-0 with a grounder to third base before Queens scored the fourth run on a wild pitch.
Dealing with a 4-0 lead, Naronis would keep the bats of the Lightning quiet until the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Lightning began the inning with a double to right center but the defense would get the first out at third base as the home side tried to stretch a double into a triple.
But GBC would tack on another double before a wild pitch advanced the runner into scoring position. A sac fly would bring the lead down to 4-1.
As Goldey-Beacom tallied their third hit of the inning and a walk put runners on first and second, a fielding error would prove costly as the home side took advantage to knot the game 4-4 after four complete innings of play.
Segarra began the top of the fifth reaching first base on a fielding error by the Lightning shortstop before advancing to second on a wild pitch.
Senior
Anthony Fontana (Wantagh, N.Y.) (1-3 AB) would advance Segarra to third with a single through the right side as Queens had runners on the corners bringing up Filip to bat.
The sophomore would deliver with a RBI single down the left field line as the Knights regained a 5-4 lead.
With Naronis' day done, the Knights turned to closer Gargano for the second time against the Lightning to shut the door.
Gargano would limit the home side to one hit in his three innings of work as he earned his third save of the season and give Queens their fifth victory of the year.
In game two, three Knights tallied three multi-hit games led by senior
Jayson Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) (2-3 AB, 2 2B, 2RBI, R), Segarra
(2-4, RBI), and freshman
Andrew Ramirez (Walnut, CA) (2-3 AB, RBI, R) first multi-hit game of his career. While sophomore
Alex Zavala-Rios (Queens, N.Y.) (1-1 AB, RBI, R) recorded his first career RBI.
Rodopoulos began the game with a double down the right field line before advancing to third on a wild pitch. After the Lightning got the first out, Segarra would give the Knights a 1-0 lead with a RBI single through the left side.
The Knights would leave two runners on base but they would take a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first.
Game two starter
Dean Fazah (Queens, N.Y.) began the inning with an out before a dropped fly ball out in the left field saw the inning turn against the Knights. Taking advantage of the error, the home side tallied five hits as they took a 5-1 run lead after one complete inning of play.
Looking to respond right away, rookie
Joey Patane (Commack, N.Y.) earned a walk before the Lightning got the next two outs.
Rodopoulos and Cisco would earn back-to-back walks to load the bases but the Lightning would the final out as Segarra grounded out to the shortstop in a close play at first base.
After a shaky first inning, Fazah would settle in as he limited the bats of Goldey-Beacom to one hit over the next three innings of play.
With the Knights trailing 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth, two fielding errors would once again hurt the Knights as the Lightning added four runs to extend their advantage to 9-1 after five innings of play.
Looking to rally, senior
Reed Hoskins (Freeport, N.Y.) earned a walk to begin the top half of the sixth before the home side got the first out on a fielder's choice. On the next play, a fielding error by the Lightning second baseman would give Queens runners on first and second with one out.
Ramirez would tally his first multi-hit game of his career with a RBI single to right field as Queens cut the deficit down to 9-2.
With Zavala-Rios now subbed into the game, the Queens native would tally his first RBI of the year with a single to left center as the Knights were within six, 9-3.
The Knights would cut the deficit down to four runs, 9-5 as Rodopoulos recorded his second double of the game to left center to clear the bases. But the Lightning would get the final two outs before they added two insurance runs in the bottom half of the inning to earn the series split with an 11-5 game two victory.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Chris Reardon and the Knights continue their road trip on Tuesday (Mar. 14) afternoon as they travel to Rutherford, N.J. as they match up against the Golden Falcons of Felician University at Breslin Field. First pitch set for 3:00 p.m.
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