LINCOLN, PA. – Looking to conclude their Philadelphia trip on a high note, the Queens College baseball team (
24-9 overall, 8-4 ECC) matched up against the Lions of Lincoln University
(10-25-1 overall, 3-9 ECC) on day three for a Sunday East Coast Conference doubleheader as Saturday's weather shifted the games around.
In game one, the offense tallied 11 hits led by senior
Jayson Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) (4-5 AB, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2R) first four-hit performance of the season while the duo of sophomore
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, RBI, 2R) and freshman
Andrew Ramirez (Walnut, CA) (2-3 AB, RBI, R) combined for four hits.
While sophomore
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, 2RBI, BB), rookie
Jorsixt Jimenez (Queens, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, RBI, BB), and sophomore
Juan De La Rosa (Bronx, N.Y.) (1-5 AB, R) combined for three hits to lead the offense.
On the mound, senior
Dean Fazah (Queens, N.Y.) (W 4-2, 7.1 IP, 6H, 3ER, 4BB, 4K) and sophomore
Nick Kozerski (Hicksville, N.Y.) (1.2 IP, 4H, BB, K) combined to limit the Lions bat to 10 hit, three runs as Fazah earned his fourth win of the season as Queens clinched the series with an 8-3 game one victory.
In game two, the offense tallied eight hits led by multi-hit performances from Jimenez
(2-3 AB, 2RBI, 2R), Rosa
(2-4 AB, 2B, 3RBI, R), and Filip
(2-3 AB, 2B, RBI), while the duo of Rodopoulos
(1-3 AB, 2R, BB) and Fontana
(1-3 AB, RBI, R, BB) combined for two hits as the Knights recorded eight runs for the second straight game.
On the mound rookie
Christopher Naronis (Floral Park, N.Y) (3.0 IP, 3H, 3ER, 4BB, 4K) and junior
Danny Gargano (Middle Island, N.Y.) (W 2-1, 2H, 4K) combined to keep the Lions offense to five hits, four runs before Gargano shut the door to earn his second win of the season as the Knights completed their first conference sweep of the season to the final score of 8-4.
With the win, the Knights improved to 24-9 overall and 8-4 in ECC play as they earned their fourth straight series over the Lions to improve to 14-0 on all-time against the Lions since the 2019 season.
In game one, both starting pitchers would keep the game scoreless through the first two innings of play before the Knights opened the scoring in the top of the third.
Rodopoulos began the third with a double down the left field line before a wild pitch advanced the senior to third base. As Cisco earned a walk to put runners on the corner, Jimenez would give Queens an early lead of 1-0 as the rookie grounded out into a fielders choice but it would be enough to score Rodopoulos from third.
But the Lions would tie the game in the home half of the third taking advantage of a walk before a two-out double saw the home side tie the game 1-1 after three complete innings.
But Queens would quickly regain the lead in the top of the fourth as they opened the inning with a walk before a fielders choice throwing error saw the Knights have runners on the corners with no out.
With no out, Ramirez broke the tie with a sac fly out to right field as Queens took a 2-1 lead.
As Queens earned their second walk of the inning, Rodopoulos recorded his second double of the day as the Knights took a 3-1 lead. Cisco would tally the third run of the inning with a sac fly out to center field as Queens extended their lead to 4-1 after the completion of the fourth inning.
With one out, a single to center field would give the Lions a chance to cut into the lead before Fazah used three pitches including a 6-4-3 double play to end the home half of the fourth.
The Lions would cut the Knight lead down to 4-2 on two hits in the home of the fifth before Queens used three singles to extend their lead to 6-2.
Queens added more insurance runs in the top of the seventh to put the game away before Fazah and Kozerski combined to give Queens their third win of the series to the final score of 8-3.
With Saturday's bad weather shifting the series around, the final game of the series would be seven innings.
Queens wasted no time taking an early lead Rodopoulos began the game with a walk before stealing second, but a throwing error would put the Scarsdale native on third base.
With one out, Jimenez put the Knights up 1-0 with a RBI grounder to the shortstop.
Naronis would retire the Lions in order to keep the Knights in front before running into trouble in the second inning. Lincoln threatened to tie the game as the rookie struggled for his command as he issued two walks but he would end the keep the home side at bay as he worked out of trouble.
Leading 1-0 heading into the top of the third, Lincoln would get the first out before Rodopoulos tallied a single to third base before Cisco earned a walk to put runners on second and first base.
With a runner in scoring position, Jimenez tallied his second RBI of the game with a single through the left side as Rodopoulos scored from second.
As Cisco and Jimenez completed a double steal, Fontana put the Knights up 3-0 with a RBI single to the shortstop as the Lions were unable to get the second out.
A RBI single to center field from Rosa put the Knights up 4-0 before senior
Reed Hoskins (Freeport, N.Y.) and Filip gave Queens a commanding lead of 6-0 after the completion of the top of the third inning.
A throwing error in the home half of the third would see the inning spiral as the Lions threatened to tie the game. Two straight walks before back-to-back hits would see the home side cut Queens lead down to 6-3 before Naronis tallied his third strikeout of the day as he was one out from keeping the damage to three runs.
But the third hit of the inning would see the Lions bring their deficit down to 6-4 before the Floral Park native got the last batter looking for his fourth strikeout of the day as he left two runners stranded.
With Naronis's day done after three innings of play, Gargano relived the rookie to shut out the game. The Middle Island began his outing with a single before Queens got the first out they caught the runner stealing second before Gargano ended the inning with a strikeout and a grounder to Rosa at third base.
Gargano and his defense would continue to keep the Lions' offense at bay as the Knights looked for additional insurance runs to seal the series.
Leading 6-4 heading into the top of the seventh, the Knights offense used two hit by pitch and a walk to put the game away. With the bases loaded and no outs, Rosa tallied a two-RBI double down the right field line to extend the advantage to 8-4 before Gargano retired the side in order in the home half of the seventh to earn his second win of the season and earn the Knights their 24
th win of the season and their first ECC series sweep of the year.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Chris Reardon and the Knights continue ECC play on Friday (Apr. 21) afternoon as they welcome the Mavericks of Mercy College to town for game one of the four-game series. First pitch set for 3:00 p.m.
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