MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Looking to complete a successful Myrtle Beach trip Sunday afternoon, the Queens College baseball team matched up against the Griffins of Chestnut Hill College.
It would be the second straight season the Knights would conclude their trip against the Griffins and on Sunday Queens picked up right where they left off on Saturday by scoring early runs. But against the Griffins, the Knights would be tested as Chestnut Hill continued to make inroads into the Knights lead.
The Knights led by as much as 6-0 but by the end of the seventh inning, the Griffins had clawed their back way to make it a one-run game to the score of 8-7. But in the top of the ninth two crucial runs would help Queens give more breathing to the defense as the Knights earned the victory to the final score of 10-7.
Queens outhit Chestnut Hill 14-8 led by three multi-hit games with red-shirt junior shortstop
Francis Segarra (Bronxville, N.Y.) (3-of-6 AB, 2B, RBI, R) recording his first three-hit game of the year, while junior third basemen
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, CA) (2-of-4 AB, R) and sophomore left fielder
Joey Patane (Commack, N.Y.) (2-of-3 AB, 2B, R) recorded their second two-hit game of the year.
While senior center fielder
Phillip Krpata (Farmingdale, N.Y.) (1-of-4 AB, 3RBI, 3R, 2BB, 5SB) and sophomore right fielder
Jorsixt Jimenez (Flushing, N.Y.) (1-of-3 AB, 3RBI, BB) combined for six RBI and three runs on the day.
On the mound, four Knights would hurl their arms with junior lefty
Robert Nunez (Manhattan, N.Y) (4.0 IP, 4H 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 2K) earning his first career start before two-way player rookie righty
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (W, 1-0 2.0 IP, R, BB, 2K) made his first appearance on the mound in relief, while junior
Evan Christopher (North Babylon, N.Y.) (1.0 IP, 3H, 3ER, BB, K) made his first appearance on the mound since the 2021 season before junior
Joshuel Rodriguez (Bay Shore, N.Y.) (S, 1 H, BB) pitched the final two innings to close out the game.
Vilardi would earn his first career win before Rodriguez recorded his first save of the year to complete a 4-0 weekend for the Knights.
With Sunday's win, Queens left Myrtles Beach with an overall record of 4-0 for the first time and have started undefeated for the first time in 26 years.
GAME RECAP
Queens wasted no time in scoring early runs as they scored eight runs throughout the first five innings of play. But the Griffins would start to respond starting in the third inning of play to the seventh as a lead of 6-0 and 8-3 was brought down to one 8-7 after seven complete innings of play.
Looking to add insurance runs, Queens looked to respond back in the top of the eighth but with one out and bases loaded, a double play would end the Knights inning as Chestnut Hill was able to stay within one run.
In the bottom of the eighth, Rodriguez made his first appearance of the year but a five-pitch walk to begin his out would put him on the back foot.
But the junior unfazed would retire the next three batters in a row to keep Queens in front to the score of 8-7.
With the Griffins the home side on the scoreboard, the Knights would add on two more runs behind timely base running as Queens extended their lead to 10-7.
In the bottom of the ninth, Rodriguez would earn his first save of the year as he quickly erased the first two batters on four pitches. Despite a two-out single to extend the inning, the Bay Shore native would get the final out as he induced the last batter to fly out to Krpata in left-center field as Queens finished off a successful Myrtle Beach trip with a 4-0 weekend.
Next Pitch
The Knights return home for a weekend series. More details to more later this week.
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