FLUSHING, N.Y. – Continuing East Coast Conference play, the Queens College baseball team
(25-9 overall, 9-4 ECC) welcomed the Mavericks of Mercy College
(9-27 overall, 5-12 ECC) to Flushing in game one of the four-game series Friday afternoon.
With the Knights lead 7-3 heading into the top of the seventh, the Mavericks would erase the Knights advantage as they took a 9-7 lead before Queens rallied back with a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth before completing the comeback as they walked it off in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Mavericks 10-9 to take game one of the ECC series.
The Knights offense outhit the Mavericks 11-8 led by rookie
Jorsixt Jimenez (Queens, N.Y.) (4-5 AB, HR, 4RBI, 2R) third four-hit performance of the season, while sophomore
Juan De La Rosa (Bronx, N.Y.) (3-4 AB, 2B, 2RBI, 2R, BB) recorded his second three-hit performance of the season and freshman
Andrew Ramirez (Walnut, CA) (1-4 AB, 2B, 2RBI, R) as the underclassmen led the charge with a combined eight RBI on the afternoon.
While the trio of senior
Jayson Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, RBI, 2R, BB), sophomore
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, R, BB), and senior
Reed Hoskins (Freeport, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, R, BB) combined for three hits on the day.
On the mound, junior
Jordan Sanabria (Woodside, N.Y.) (6.0 IP, 5H, 4ER, 2BB, 7K), sophomore
Joshuel Rodriguez(Bay Shore, N.Y.) (2.0 IP, 3H, 3ER, BB) and senior
Dante Interlandi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (W 1-0, 1.0 IP, BB) combined to limit the Mavericks to eight hits with six earned runs and seven strikeouts before Interlandi pitched a shutout ninth inning to keep the Mavericks at bay before earning his first win of the season.
As Sanabria worked a clean inning to start the top of the first, the Knights offense went to work from the first pitch in the home half of the frame.
Rodopoulos began the inning with a single through the left side before Cisco singled to the third baseman but a throwing error would advance Rodopoulos to third base.
Queens would take a 1-0 lead as Jimenez tallied a RBI single to right center field before Queens earned back-to-back walks to double their advantage to 2-0 after the completion of the first inning.
Queens avoided trouble in the top of the second inning as they left a Maverick baserunner stranded on third before extending their advantage in the bottom of the inning.
Ramirez opened the inning with a walk before a sac bunt advanced the rookie to second base. As Rodopoulos got hit by a pitch to Queens runners on second and first, the Mavericks would get the first out before a balk advanced both runners into scoring position.
Taking advantage, Jimenez would deliver with a two-RBI single to left field to clear the bases as the Knights took a 4-0 lead with one out.
After the second walk of the inning pushed Jimenez into scoring position, Rosa would put the Knights up 5-0 with a RBI single through the right side after the competition of two innings.
Two fielding errors in the third inning would allow the Mavericks to trim the home side advantage down to 5-2 before a solo shot in the top of the fourth saw the Knights lead cut down to 5-3.
Leading 5-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth, the Mavericks would get the first out before Rosa tallied his second hit of the afternoon with a single up the middle before sophomore
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) earned a walk. Hoskins would load the bases with a single up the middle with still only one out.
Ramirez would tally his first RBI of the afternoon as he scored Rosa on a fielders choice out as Filip advanced to third as the Knights extended their lead to 6-3 before a passed ball allowed Filip to score as Queens went up 7-3 after the completion of five innings.
Both teams would leave a runner stranded in the sixth inning of play before the Mavericks rallied in the top of the seventh with four hits including a three-run shot to tie the game before a single to left field saw the visitors take an 8-7 lead.
Queens would leave a runner stranded in the home half of the seventh before Mercy used a walk to extend their advantage to 9-7 after the completion of the eighth inning.
The Knights would get a run back in the home half of the eighth as Jimenez recorded his fifth home run of the season with a solo shot to left field as they cut their deficit down to 9-8 heading into the ninth inning.
Interlandi kept the Mavericks' offense quiet as he worked out of a two-out walk as he induced the fourth batter of the inning to line out to Hoskins in left field.
Down to their last three outs, the Knights looked for another comeback rally as they looked for their 25
th overall victory and ninth in conference play.
Leading off in the bottom of the ninth, Rosa wasted no time looking at any pitches as he blasted the first pitch he saw to right center field which just missed going over the fence for a solo shot but would have to settle for a double to begin the comeback rally.
A wild pitch would advance the sophomore to third base as Queens had the tying run 90 feet away. The Mavericks would get the first out before Hoskins got hit by a pitch to give the Knights runners in the corner.
With one out, Ramirez would foul off the first two pitches before the freshman tied the game with a ground-rule RBI double to right field as Hoskins had to apply the breaks at third base.
Now with the winning run 90 feet away, freshman
Joey Patane (Commack, N.Y.) battled for a seven-pitch walk as the Knights loaded the bases to bring up the senior Rodopoulos to at-bat.
The Scarsdale native would deliver without having to lift his bat as he walked it off earning a four-pitch RBI walk as Queens completed a comeback rally to win game one of the series to the final score of 10-9.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Chris Reardon and the Knights now shift their attention to a Saturday (Apr. 22) afternoon doubleheader as they travel to Dobbs Ferry to continue the four-game series against the Mavericks. First pitch set for 12:00 p.m.
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