LINCOLN, PA. – Returning to East Coast Conference action Friday afternoon, the Queens College baseball team (
21-9 overall, 5-4 ECC) traveled to the Lions of Lincoln University
(10-2 2-1 overall, 3-6 ECC) as the four-game series got underway in Lincoln, Philadelphia.
Trailing 5-0 after the completion of three innings, the Knights rallied on two separate occasions to tie the game before a big defensive play forced extra to shift momentum as Queens scored two runs in the top of the 10
th inning to earn a 10-8 victory over the Lions in game one of the four-game series.
Playing under sunny and warm conditions, the offense tallied 16 hits led by freshman
Jorsixt Jimenez (Queens, N.Y.) (4-6 AB, 2 2B, RBI, R) second four-hit game of the season, while senior
Anthony Fontana (Wantagh, N.Y.) (3-5 AB, 2 2B, 3RBI, 2R, BB) recorded a three-hit performance on the afternoon as the duo combined for four doubles and four RBI.
Three players in senior
Jayson Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) (2-6 AB, R), senior
Reed Hoskins (Freeport, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, BB) (2-6 AB, RBI, R) and sophomore
Juan De La Rosa (Bronx, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, 2B, 2 RBI, R, BB) combined for six hits, while the trio of sophomore
Marc Cisco (1-5 AB, R, BB), sophomore
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B) and rookie
Andrew Ramirez (Walnut, CA) (1-4 AB, 2BB) combined for three hits.
On the mound, senior
Liam Pulsipher (East Moriches, N.Y.) (6.0 IP, 8H, 6ER, 8K), senior
Johnnie Rodopoulos(Scarsdale, N.Y.) (1.0 IP, H, 2BB) and sophomore
Joshuel Rodriguez (Bay Shore, N.Y.) (W 1-0, 3.0 IP, H, BB, K) combined to limit the Lions offense to 10 hits, eight runs before Rodriguez pitched three innings of relief to keep the offense at bay as the Bay Shore earned his first win of the season.
It would be the Lions who opened the scoring first as they took a 1-0 lead after the completion of the first inning before a four-run inning in the bottom of the third saw the home side take a 5-0 lead after three innings.
Looking to respond, Rodopoulos began the inning with a single to center field before a balk advanced the senior to second base. As the Lions got the first out, a RBI double from Jimenez down the left field line would cut the deficit down to 5-1.
Fontana would bring Queens within three, 5-2 with a RBI double to left field as the offense started to find their rhythm.
A single from Hoskins would give Queens runners on first and second before Rosa earned a walk to load the bases.
But as Filip flew out to right field, a throwing error to catch Hoskins off the bases would allow Fontana and Hoskins to score as the Knights got their deficit down to 5-4.
The Knights would tie the game 5-5 as Ramirez reached first on a drop fly ball by the left fielder as Rosa scored from third.
But the Lions wasted no time responding as they tallied three hits in the home half of the fourth to reclaim a 7-5 lead.
Looking to rally once again as they trailed 7-5, the Lions took the first edge as they got the first out before Cisco earned a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
A single from Jimenez would advance Cisco to third as Queens had runners on the corners as they looked to tie the game.
Back-to-back RBI singles from Fontana and Hoskins would allow the Knights to tie the game 7-7 before Pulsipher kept the Lions' offense at bay in the home half of the fifth and sixth.
Queens left the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh as the Lions were able to record timely outs to keep the game tied.
For the third time on the day, the Lions would reclaim an 8-7 lead as the home side found the gap with two outs.
As the Lions reclaimed the lead, the Knights would not be far behind as they answered back with a run of their own.
With one out in the top of the eighth, Jimenez would tally his third hit of the afternoon before Fontana earned a walk to put runners on base. Rosa would tie the game 8-8 with a RBI single through the right side but once again the Knights would leave the bases loaded as they were unable to close the game.
Rodriguez entered in the bottom of the eighth inning in relief and quickly went to work as he retired the side in order.
But as the Lions' defense kept the Queens bats quiet in the top of the ninth, Lincoln looked to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth.
The Bay Shore native quickly got the first two outs before a walk and a defensive miscue extended the inning giving the Lions a chance to walk it off.
Facing his fifth batter of the inning, the Lions looked to have walked it off on a single to right field but Jimenez would make a timely throw from right field as the Knights got the base runner out at home to force extra innings.
For the third time this season in April, the Knights entered extra innings while holding a record of 1-1 in extra innings.
Having forced extra innings, Jimenez lead off the top of the 10
th inning to set the tone and the rookie would deliver in a tremendous fashion as he recorded his second double of the day to set his second four-hit performance of the year to begin the inning.
With the dangerous bat of Fontana up, the Wantagh native would battle in his at-bat before he laced a RBI double down the right field line to give Queens a 9-8 lead.
After the Lions got the first out, Rosa would extend the Knights advantage to 10-8 with a RBI double to right center field as Queens used three extra-base hits to take the lead.
Leading for the first time on the day and two runs behind him, Rodriguez returned in the bottom of the 10
th as he looked to officially seal the game with his first victory of the season.
The sophomore would get the first batter to strike out before he got the second out with a fly out to center field. Rodriguez would earn his first victory of the season as he got the last out to foul out to Fontana at first base as the Knights earned a hard-fought comeback victory to the final score of 10-8.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Chris Reardon and the Knights continue the ECC series with a Saturday (Apr. 15) afternoon doubleheader against the Lions. First pitch set for 12:00 p.m.
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