FLUSHING, N.Y. – Continuing East Coast Conference play, the Queens College softball team
(3-1 ECC) welcomed the Dolphins of College of Staten Island
(2-4 ECC) to QC Softball Field for a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader.
Playing under partially cloudy conditions, in game one graduate student
Allyson Dilday (Castle Rock, CO.) (W 2-5, 7.0 IP, 2H, 4BB, 9K) fired the first shutout of the season while the offense tallied eight hits led by the trio of junior
Dyana Budakowski (Washingtonville, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, RBI), sophomore
Amanda Baez (Selden, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, 2B, RBI, R) and senior
Ann Grimshaw (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B, RBI) as the top of the order combined for three RBI for a 3-0 victory.
In game two, the offense clicked for 11 hits led by Grimshaw's
(3-4 AB, 2B, HR, 3RBI, R) fifth multi-hit game and her first three-hit performance, while the junior duo of Budakowski
(2-4 AB, 3R, SB) and
Jenny Murphy (East Islip, N.Y.) (2-3 AB) tallied combine for four hits.
Grimshaw and Baez
(1-2 AB, 2B, 2RBI) combined for five RBI while game two stater Budakowski
(W 1-5, 7.0 IP, 8H, ER, 3BB, 5K) earned her first victory of the season as she limited the Dolphins offense to eight hits, one earned run and struck out five batters for a 5-1 game two victory and complete the doubleheader sweep.
As Dilday worked out of a one-out walk in begin game one, her offense would quickly go to work in the home half of the first.
The Dolphins got the first out to the Knights inning before Baez got hit by a pitch. The Selden native would second base and with a runner in scoring position, Grimshaw would deliver with a RBI double through the right side as Queens took a 1-0 lead after one complete inning of play.
Staten Island opened the top of the second with a walk before Dilday got the first out with a grounder right back to her as Queens took the first out at first base. The graduate student would end the inning with back-to-back strikeouts to keep the 1-0 lead intact.
The Dolphins began the bottom half of the second inning with an out before walking the second batter. But the visitors would get the second out and looked to be one out away from keeping their deficit at 1-0.
But sophomore
Emma Zumpol (Patchogue, N.Y.) (1-1 AB, R, 2BB) would earn a four-pitch walk before Budakowski put the Knights up 2-0 with a RBI single down the left field line. Next batter Baez wasted no time looking at any pitches as the sophomore blasted her first pitch for a RBI double to score Zumpol from second and give Queens a 3-0 lead after two complete innings of play.
Leading 3-0, Dilday would go on to retire the next 10 Dolphins batters including two clean innings in the top of the third and fourth inning.
After retiring the first batter in the top of the fifth, the Dolphins would earn back-to-back walks as they had two runners on for the first time in an inning.
But Dilday's defense would rally behind her to get the next two hits to end the inning.
Queens looked to break the game open in the home half of the fifth as they loaded the bases with three hits but the Dolphins would avoid any damage as they kept the Knights offense at bay.
With the Knights leading 3-0, and Dilday working a no-hitter in the circle, the Dolphins would end the no-hitter in the top of the sixth with back-to-back singles. With no outs and runners on first and second, the Colorado native would earn her eighth strikeout of the day before she induced a double play with a liner to rookie
Allie Parascandola (East Quogue, N.Y.) to keep the shutout going.
Leading 3-0 and in line to earn her first conference win of the season, the righty would work her third clean inning of the day as she retired the Dolphins in order. She would end the game with her ninth strikeout of the day to earn her first shutout of the season as Queens improved to 2-1 in conference play.
With the shutout, the Knights earned their first shutout over the Dolphins and their first shutout in a game since the 2019 season.
In game two, Budakowski started the game by retiring the Dolphins in order before the offense went to work early once again.
Looking to take another early start, Budakowski began the home half of the first with a single up the middle before Baez advance the junior into scoring position with a sac bunt.
Grimshaw wasted no time tallying her second RBI double of the day with a shot to left field as Queens took a 1-0 lead for the second straight game against the Dolphins.
Budakowski opened the top half of the second with back-to-back strikeouts before the Dolphins recorded two straight singles as they looked to make early inroads.
But the junior would get the fifth batter of the inning to ground out right back to her as she kept the Dolphins' offense at bay.
In the bottom of the third inning, Grimshaw tallied her second career home run and first of the season with a solo shot to left center field as the senior doubled the Knights advantage to 2-0.
Budakowski would continue to keep the Dolphins' offense at bay before the Knights extended their lead to 3-0 on Grimshaw's fourth RBI of the day in the bottom of the fifth inning.
As Budakowski recorded her fourth multi-hit game of the season, Baez would advance her starting pitcher to second base with her second sac bunt of the day.
As Budakowski stole third base, Grimshaw recorded her third RBI of the game with a single to center field as Budakowski scored and put the Knights up 3-0.
In the top half of the sixth, the Dolphins would avoid their second shutout of the day as they cut the Knights lead down to 3-1 on a sac fly out to center field. But the Washingtonville native would work out of trouble as she left two Dolphins runners stranded on base.
Having their lead cut down to 3-1 to begin the bottom of the sixth, freshman
Brianna Call (Fishkill, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, 2B) began the home frame with her first career double which just left missed going over the left field center.
But the Dolphins would get the first out as the next batter to line out to second base before Zumpol earned a walk to give Queens two base runners. But the visitors would erase Call at third for a fielder's choice to get the second out.
As the Dolphins looked to be avoiding any damage, Baez's fourth double of the season would give the sophomore her first multi-RBI game of the season as she cleared the bases with a shot to left center field as Queens extended their lead to 5-1 after six innings of play.
Leading 5-1, the Dolphins would not go away with a fight as they began the final inning of the game with a single to left field. But the junior would get two straight batters to fly out to Baez in center field.
Down to their last out, the Dolphins would add drama as they loaded the bases with back to back to singles to bring up the tying run to the plate. But Budakowski would hold her nerve and earn her first win of the season as she ended the game with her fifth strikeout of the day and give Queens a game two 5-1 victory and their first conference doubleheader sweep of the season.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Amy Delmore and the Knights return to non-conference play on Thursday (Mar. 30) afternoon as they welcome the Yellow Jackets of American International College to QC Softball Field. First pitch set for 2:00 p.m.
All home games will be live-streamed on the
QC Sports Network and
ECC Network and fans can follow along on
live stats.
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