FLUSHING, N.Y. – Returning to East Coast Conference play to conclude the week, the Queens College Baseball team
(27-14 overall, 11-7 ECC) welcomed the Saints of D'Youville University
(18-22, 8-10 ECC) to Flushing for a four-game series.
With the weekend weather shifting the series around, the Knights hosted a Friday afternoon doubleheader against the Saints. It would be a tough loss in game one loss as the Saints took game one to the score of 4-1 before the Knights rallied in game two to earn a 5-3 game two victory and earn the doubleheader split.
With the win in game two, the Knights improved their record to 27-14 overall and 11-7 in conference play.
The game two victory saw the Knights record their second 27-win season since the 1998 season and the most wins under coach head coach
Chris Reardon in his 10 seasons in Flushing overtaking 2022 season wins total of 26.
Friday's victory puts Reardon and his squad two wins away from tying the program record of 29 wins and three wins away from setting a new program record for wins in a single season.
As injuries continue to tear the lineup Queens shuffled a new lineup to return to winning ways. In game one the Knights were limited to six hits as six different players in
Reed Hoskins (Freeport, N.Y.) (1-4 AB), senior
Jayson Rodopoulos(Scarsdale, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B), sophomore
Juan De La Rosa (Bronx, N.Y.) (1-4 AB), rookie
Andrew Ramirez (Walnut, CA) (1-2 AB, R), senior
Teovaldo Estevez (Bronx, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, BB) and freshman
Joey Patane (Commack, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B, RBI) recorded a hit.
Patane batted the lone run of the game with a RBI double to right field in the bottom of the second inning.
It would be a tough loss for junior
Jordan Sanabria (Woodside, N.Y.) (7.0 IP, 4H, 3ER, 5BB, 9K) as the Woodside native recorded a career-best seven innings pitched to go with a career-best nine strikeouts in game one.
While in game two, Queens broke out the bats as they outhit the Saints 12-6 as all nine starters recorded a hit. The Knights were led by three multi-hit performances as
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (2-2 AB, 2B, 2R, 2BB), Rosa
(2-3 AB, RBI, R, BB), and Hoskins
(2-3 AB, 3RBI, BB) combined for six hits.
While Rodopoulos
(1-3 AB, BB), Ramirez
(1-4 AB, R) Jorsixt Jimenez (Queens, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B, R),
Colin Diez(Levittown, N.Y.) (1-4 AB), Patane
(1-3 AB) and junior
Nick Barreiros (Seaford, N.Y.) (1-3 AB) who missed the last four games made his return to the starting lineup combined for six hits.
Rosa and Hoskins combined for four RBI in the victory.
On the mound, senior
Liam Pulsipher (East Moriches, N.Y.) (W 4-2, 7.0 IP, 6H, 2ER, 3BB, 5K) was a man show as the East Moriches native limited the Saints bats to six hits with five strikeouts to earn his fourth win of the season.
Having taken game one, the Saints took an early lead to start game two as they led off game two with a single to left field before Pulsipher got the first out. As the visitors stole second base, a passed ball would move the runner 90 feet with only one out.
Pulsipher would get two straight outs but the Saint would take a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first inning.
As the Saints got the first out, Ramirez would tack his second single of the afternoon with a shot to right field before a wild pitch advanced the rookie to second base. D'Youville would get the second out and looked to be getting out of the inning unscathed. But as Ramirez stole third base, Filip would earn a walk as Queens had runners on the corners.
A RBI single from Rosa would score Ramirez from third base as Queens tied the game 1-1 before the Saints avoided further damage.
But the 1-1 tied game would not last long as the visitors used an one-out hit by pitch, a single, and a walk to their advantage to load the bases. The Saints looked to have cleared the bases with a double to right center field but a timely throw would beat the third runner at home plate as the Knights limited the damage the two runs but D'Youville would reclaim a lead of 3-1.
As Pulsipher settled down to continue to limit the Saints off the scoreboard and keep the Knights deficit at 3-1, Queens continued to search for more runs.
Queens left a combined four runners stranded in the bottom of the third and fourth before they responded in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Jimenez battled for seven pitches to keep his at-bat alive before lacing the eighth pitch of the at-bat to center field which just missed going over the wall as the rookie led the inning off with a double.
As Filip earned his second walk of the afternoon, a bunt single from Rosa would load the bases for the Knights as Queens looked to be putting together a rally.
With the bases loaded, a wild pitch would allow Jimenez to score as Queens cut their deficit down to 3-2 before Hoskins laced the fifth pitch of his at-bat for a two-RBI single up the middle as the Knights took a 4-3 lead. But the Saints would prevent further damage as they left the bases loaded.
Returning to the top of the sixth with a 4-3 lead, the Southpaw Pulsipher would retire the side in order.
Holding a slim lead of 4-3, Queens looked for insurance runs to put the game away in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Saints would get the first out before Filip tallied a double to right field to give Queens a runner in scoring position. As the visitors got the second out, a throwing error would allow Filip to advance to third base before Hoskins recorded his third RBI of the game with a single through the right side as the Knights extended their advantage to 5-3 to provide Pulsipher more breathing room.
Looking to close the game out, Pulsipher returned for his seventh inning of the game. He would battle for the first out before inducing a grounder to Rosa at shortstop in the eighth pitch of the at-bat for the first out.
But a single up the middle would apply pressure on Pulsipher before the defense got the second out on a fielders choice to erase the first runner as the Knights were one out from earning the split.
Pulsipher would complete the game effort and earn his fourth win of the season as he got the third out to fly out to Rodopoulos in right-center field as Queens completed a comeback rally to earn their 27
th win of the season.
With his complete game effort Friday afternoon, Pulsipher recorded his second complete game against the Saints in three seasons and earned his 11
th career win overall.
With his 11
th career win, Pulsipher is tied for fourth place for All-Time Career Wins in program history matching
Joseph Broderick's (2014-2017) tally.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Chris Reardon and the Knights continue the four-game East Coast Conference series against the Saints on Saturday (Apr. 29) afternoon at Hennekens Stadium. First pitch set for 3:00 p.m.
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