POMONA, N.Y. – Continuing East Coast Conference play to conclude the regular season, the Queens College Baseball team
(27-15 overall, 11-8 ECC) traveled to Pomona as they matched up against Spartans of Saint Thomas Aquinas College
(22-23, 15-6 ECC) at Clover Stadium Thursday evening.
Opening the four-game series against the Spartans, the Knights were bolstered by the return of sophomore
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) and senior
Anthony Fontana (Wantagh, N.Y.) to the lineup as Fontana returned to the lineup after missing the last six games and with Cisco missing the last four games.
With the regular season nearing a close, the Knights were playing their first game since last Friday's afternoon doubleheader against D'Youville, while the Spartans were coming off a day's rest after racking 41 runs in their last two games against College of Staten Island on Monday and Tuesday afternoon.
The rust showed as the Knights were held to seven hits as senior
Jayson Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y.) (1-4 AB), freshman
Jorsixt Jimenez (Queens, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, BB), sophomore
Juan De La Rosa (Bronx, N.Y.) (1-3 AB), senior
Reed Hoskins (Freeport, N.Y.) (1-3 AB), freshman
Andrew Ramirez (Walnut, CA) (1-4 AB), senior
Teovaldo Estevez(Bronx, N.Y.) (1-1 AB, 2B, R) and sophomore
Mike Freda (Dix Hills, N.Y.) (1-1 AB, RBI) combined for a hit each.
The Spartans took an early 2-0 after the conclusion of the first inning as four walks and a hit by pitch led to both runs being scored.
Trailing 3-0 heading into the top of the fifth inning, with one out, Rosa and Hoskins singled to give the Knights two base runners as they looked to cut into their deficit. But the Spartans would avoid any damage as they got the next two batters to strike out to end the inning.
The Spartans would take game one of the series as they tallied three runs in the bottom of the sixth and an eight-run inning in the seventh for a 14-0 lead.
Queens would avoid the shutout as Estevez and Freda tallied back-to-back hits in the top of the ninth as the Knights fell 14-1 in game one.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Chris Reardon and the Knights return to Clover Stadium on Friday (May. 5) evening for game two of the series against the Spartans. First pitch set for 6:00 p.m.
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