FLUSHING, N.Y. – Playing for the first time since Feb. 26, the bats of the Queens College baseball team showed no signs of rust as the Knights tacked on 18 hits with six extra-base hits to defeat the visiting Alliance University at Hennekens Stadium to the final score of 14-5 in their home opener.
10 Knights recorded hits led by senior
Jayson Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) (3-5 AB, 2B, HR, 3RBI, 2R) three-hit performance with a team-high three RBIs, while six Knights recorded multi-hit games, and three players recorded a hit apiece.
Nine players recorded RBIs led by Rodopoulos with three RBIs, while junior
Francis Segarra (Bronxville, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, 3B, 2RBI, R) picked up where he left off in Myrtle Beach, while sophomore
Joseph Cornielle (Bayside, N.Y.) (1-1 AB, 2RBI) tallied his first multi-RBI game of his career in a pinch-hit situation. Six other Knights recorded a RBI as Queens tallied a season-high 13 RBIs just five games into the 2023 season.
Wednesday's non-conference home opener saw head coach
Chris Reardon and the coaching staff give home debuts to Segarra, senior
Anthony Fontana (Wantagh, N.Y.), and the rookie trio of
Andrew Ramirez (Walnut, CA), Joey Patane (Commack, N.Y.), Jorsixt Jimenez (Queens, N.Y.), and sophomore
Alex Zavala-Rios (Queens, N.Y.).
While on the mound, sophomore
Nick Kozerski (Hicksville, N.Y) earned his first career start in his debut, while sophomore
Blake Jefremow (Bayside, N.Y.) and freshman
Christian Duarte (Williston Park, N.Y.) made their debut on the mound.
Earning his first career start, Kozerski
(W 1-0, 3.0 IP, H, BB, 2K) would pick up his first victory on the season in three innings of work as the Knights rotated their arms on the mound.
The Hicksville native worked a clean top half of the first inning to start the game before the Knights went to work. With one out, sophomore
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, RBI, R, BB) extended his reached base streak to 32 games in the bottom half with a single up the middle before a double play by Alliance got the visitors out of the inning.
Having retired the first two batters, Kozerski would walk the sixth batter he saw but the junior would ensure there would be no damage to the inning as he picked off the runner to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the second inning, the visitors would get the first two outs before Queens rallied to take an early lead. Sophomore
Juan De La Rosa (Bronx, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, HR, RBI, 2R) making his spring debut wasted no time looking at any pitches as he blasted his first pitch to opposite field for a home run over the right field fence to give the Knights an early 1-0 lead.
Jimenez
(2-5 AB, 2B, 2R) would extend the inning with a double to right field before sophomore
Mike Freda (Dix Hills, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, 2R) who earned his first start of the season and second of his career with a single through the left side.
Rodopoulos would double the Knights' advantage with a single through the right side as Jimenez scored from second for a 2-0 lead.
Queens would triple their lead as Cisco blasted a shot off Alliance starter to score Freda from second as the Knights led 3-0 after two complete innings of play.
The visitors would cut the home side advantage down to 3-2 as they tallied two hits and capitalize on a fielding error in the top half of the fourth inning.
But Queens would put the game away in the fourth inning with a six-run inning off five hits. After Freda tallied his second hit of the afternoon and his first multi-hit game of his career, Rodopoulos would waste no time looking at any pitches as he tallied his first home run of the season to left field as Queens took a 5-2 lead.
Next batter Cisco earned a four-pitch walk before Segarra recorded his second triple of the season scoring Cisco for a 6-2 lead.
Sophomore
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B, RBI, R, BB) tallied his second double of the season to right center field as the Knights extended their advantage to 7-2.
Fontana
(2-5 AB, R) would continue the inning with a single to left field as Filip advanced to third before scoring on a RBI grounder from senior
Reed Hoskins (Freeport, N.Y.) (0-3 AB, BB, RBI).
Fontana would record the sixth run of the inning scoring on a wild pitch as Queens took a commanding 9-2 lead after four complete innings of play.
The Knights would tack on a run in the fifth and a four-run inning in the eighth before completing the game to earn their third victory of the season and fourth in a row over Alliance.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Chris Reardon and the Knights will have short rest as they return to action for their first doubleheader at home on Friday (Mar. 10) afternoon as they match up against the Lightning of Goldey-Beacom College. First pitch set for noon.
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