FLUSHING, N.Y. – It is starting to become a trend in the opening game of the East Coast Conference series between their fellow CUNY member College of Staten Island Dolphins
(6-10 overall, 0-1 ECC) as for the third straight time the Queens College baseball team
(12-4 overall, 1-0 ECC) rallied back facing a deficit to defeat the Dolphins.
In their first-ever meeting as conference foes back on May 7, 2021, the Knights erased a 3-0 deficit to win 7-5 in game one. One season later on April 8, 2022, Queens trailed 4-1 before scoring five unanswered runs to win 6-4 in extra innings.
On Friday (Mar. 24) afternoon, head coach
Chris Reardon and his Knights were behind 8-1 after four and a half innings of play, and then 9-5 after eight and a half innings of play in Flushing.
Down to their last three outs, the Knights would once again complete a rally to emerge victorious with five runs in the bottom of the ninth to take the opening game of the series to the final score of 10-9 at Hennekens Stadium.
The Knights broke out the bats as they recorded 17 hits with sophomore
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (3-5 AB) and senior
Anthony Fontana (Wantagh, N.Y.) (3-4 AB) recorded three-hit performances, while four Knights in
Jayson Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, HR, 2RBI, 2R, SB), junior
Francis Segarra (Bronxville, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, RBI), and rookies
Jorsixt Jimenez (Queens, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, 2B, 2R) and
Andrew Ramirez (Walnut, CA) (2-4 AB, 2B, 3B, 2RBI, 2R, BB) recorded two-hit performances with three other Knights recording a single each.
It was a sluggish start for senior
Liam Pulsipher (East Moriches, N.Y.) and reliever sophomore
Nick Kozerski (Hicksville, N.Y.) who were unable to find their command as they combined for eight hits, eight runs, and seven walks on the day. while senior
Johnnie Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) (W 1-0, 5.0 IP, 4H, ER, BB, 5K) pitched a season-high of five innings as he limited the Dolphins batters to four hits, with one earned run and struck out a season-high five batters to earn his first win of the season.
Pitching for the first time since March 14, Pulsipher was unable to find his command early on as the visitors scored two runs on a two-out walk before a home run to center field saw the visitors take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Looking to respond right away, with one out, Cisco singled up the middle before Segarra singled to center as Queens had runners in scoring position. But the Dolphins would avoid any damage as their starter struck out the next two batters to end the first inning of play.
After Pulsipher worked out of a one-out double to keep the Dolphins at bay, the Knights would cut the deficit in the bottom half of the second inning.
Jimenez began the inning with a double through the left side before a grounder advanced the rookie to third base as the visitors got the first out. After Ramirez lined to left field, junior
Nick Barreiros (Seaford, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, 2RBI, BB) would single to right center field as Jimenez scored from third cutting the deficit down to 2-1 after two complete innings of play.
The Dolphins would answer back scoring four runs on three hits as Pulsipher was unable to find his zone as they extended to lead to 6-1. Queens would leave two runners on base in the bottom of the third as the Dolphins kept the home side at bay.
In the top of the fourth inning, Kozerski would relieve Pulsipher but once again CSI would take advantage as they extended their lead further taking advantage of two more walks before they tallied two hits to take an 8-1 lead after four and half complete innings of play.
Looking to cut the deficit, senior
Colin Diez (Levittown, N.Y.) began the home half of the fourth with a walk before Ramirez began his career day at the plate recording the first double of his career to left field as Diez was stopped at third.
A sac fly by Barreiros would score Diez from third as the Knights cut the deficit down to 8-2 while Ramirez advanced to third.
A RBI single through the left side from Jay. Rodopoulos would score Ramirez as Queens cut the score down to 8-3. Rodopoulos would steal second base before the Dolphins struck out Cisco for the second out.
But Segarra would continue the scoring with a RBI single to right center as Queens got the score down to 8-4. As Segarra got advanced to second on a passed ball, Fontana would get hit by a pitch as Queens has runners on second and first. With two outs, Queens looked to keep the momentum as they chased the Dolphins starter out.
But a fine play by the shortstop would get the final out of the inning as the visitors left two Knights on base.
Senior righty
Johnnie Rodopoulos would take over on the mound. But the Scarsdale native would have to work out of a double to left center to keep the Dolphins at bay and scoreline at 8-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, Jay. Rodopoulos would bring the deficit down to four with his second home run of the season as Queens got within 8-4.
Both sides would face the minimum in the seventh before the visitors added an insurance run in the top of the eighth as they extended their advantage to 9-5 as Queens were now running out of innings to complete a rally.
The Dolphins would evade any damage following Cisco's third hit of the afternoon with two outs before
Johnnie Rodopoulos did the same to limit the Dolphins who recorded a hit in the top of the ninth.
Down to their last three out heading into the bottom of the ninth as they trailed 9-5 and the Dolphins threaten to take game one of the series.
Queens broke out the rally caps as they began the frame with three straight hits from Fontana, senior
Reed Hoskins(Freeport, N.Y.) (1-5 AB, R), and Jimenez to load the bases.
With no outs, the Dolphins would bring their third pitcher of the game and Queens wasted no time in responding. Sophomore
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (1-1 AB, 2B, 2RBI, BB) staring at a 1-1 count laced the third pitch of the bat with a two RBI double to right center field as the Knights cut the score down to 9-7.
Still, with no outs and momentum swinging their way, the rookie Ramirez wasted no time looking at any pitches as the Californian native recorded his second extra-base hit of the afternoon with his first career triple as he tied the game 9-9 with a two-RBI deep shot to left field.
The Knights now had the winning run 90 feet away as a sac fly would be enough for the winning shot with Barreiros now up to bat. Having recorded a sac fly already on the day, Barreiros would earn a six-pitch walk giving Queens a runner on a third and first bringing up the dangerous bat of Jay Rodopoulos.
Having rallied back with five hits to tie the game, and still no out in the home frame, the center fielder who was facing a 1-2 count did not need to swing as a wild pitch would prove to be enough as Ramirez scored from third as the Knights completed a dramatic comeback rally to open ECC play in style with a 10-9 victory.
With the victory, Reardon and his Knights open ECC play on a winning note in one of the classic comeback victories of the season.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Chris Reardon and the Knights now travel to Staten Island, N.Y. on Sunday (Mar. 26) afternoon with a doubleheader against the Dolphins as the four-game series continues. First pitch set for 12:00 p.m.
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