FLUSHING, N.Y. – Northeast weather struck again as the Queens College baseball team's East Coast Conference four-game series opener against the Lincoln University (PA.) Lions shifted a Friday afternoon single game into a doubleheader.
In game one Friday, it would be a pitching duel combined with uncharacteristic fielding from the Knights' defense as the home side totaled six hits and six errors in the ECC opener against the Lions. Offensively the Knights were held by junior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y) (2-4 AB, R, BB) third multi-hit game of the year while sophomore right fielder
Jorsixt Jimenez (Flushing, N.Y) (1-3 AB, 3B, 2R, 2BB), junior
Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, AZ.) (1-3 AB), senior catcher
Nick Barreiros (Seaford, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, 2B, 2RBI, BB) and junior second baseman
Elquin Rodriguez (Washington Heights, N.Y.) (1-4 AB) combined for six hits and three runs scored.
While the trio of Barreiros, redshirt junior shortstop
Francis Segarra (Bronxville, N.Y.), and junior third baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, CA) combined to drive in four runs before junior outfielder
Leo Alvarez (Oceanside, N.Y.) helped deliver the walk-off run with a fielder's choice sac bunt as Queens earned a 5-4 victory to open ECC play on a winning note.
On the mound, senior righty
Jordan Sanabria (Woodside, N.Y.) (7.0 IP, 3H, 3R, 5K) delivered another quality start before senior righty
Danny Gargano (Middle Island, N.Y.) (W, 2-0 2.0 IP, 2H, R, K) held the Lions at bay to earn his second victory of the year as the duo limited the visitors to five hits, with no earned runs and six strikeouts on the day.
In the nightcap, the offense would record 10 hits for nine runs led by graduate student center fielder
Phillip Krpata (Farmingdale, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, RBI, R, BB, SB) fifth multi-hit game, Jimenez
(2-5 AB, 2RBI, R, 2SB) eighth multi-hit game, and Jacobsen
(2-4 AB, RBI, R, BB) team-leading ninth multi-hit game as the trio combined for six hits, five RBI, and three runs scored.
While Filip
(1-3 AB, RBI, 2R), Alvarez
(1-3 AB, R, BB, 2SB), and Barreiros
(1-2 AB, 2RBI, R, BB) and freshman second baseman
Adam Gonzalez (Commack, N.Y.) combined for four hits, three RBI and six runs scored as Queens recorded nine runs in the nightcap.
On the mound, junior righty
Caleb Cassie (Vancouver, B.C.) (W, 1-1 6.0 IP, 4H, 2ER, 2BB, 9K), junior lefty
Nate Rodriguez (Hamilton, N.J.) (1.2 IP, 2K), and junior righty
Evan Christopher (North Babylon, N.Y.) (1.1 IP, H, K) combined to limit the Lions to five hits, two earned run with 12 strikeouts as Cassie recorded a quality start with a career-best nine strikeouts to earn his first victory of the year as Queens earned a 9-2 victory to complete the Friday afternoon doubleheader sweep.
With the win, the Knights improved their overall record to 11-7 on the year and opened ECC play on a strong note with a 2-0 record.
GAME ONE RECAP (QUEENS 5, LINCOLN 4)
After Sanabria worked out of a lead-off single to begin the game to leave the Lions base runner stranded at third base, the Knights wasted no time opening the scoring as Jimenez recorded a one-out triple before Segarra put the Knights up 1-0 following the conclusion of the first inning of play.
But fielding errors would hurt the Knights as the Lions scored two runs in the second and a run in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead while their offense was held hitless for the next five innings of play.
However, in the home half of the fifth, the Knights would use two walks, and a fielding error to load the bases before Jacobsen was hit by pitch to bring home the second run of the game for Queens.
As Queens recorded two hits, their first hits since the first inning of play in the sixth, and a walk to load the bases with one out, the Lions would avoid trouble as they got the final two outs to keep their 3-2 lead intact.
In the top of the seventh Sanabria would return to keep his side in the game. Despite a leadoff single, the senior would retire the next three batters in a row with a fly out to right field before striking out the last two batters to keep the home side deficit at 3-2.
Needing to rally Filip began the home half of the seventh with a single up the middle before Jacobsen earned a five-pitch walk to put two runners and no outs. But the Lions would record back-to-back outs however Napolitano Jr.'s grounder for the second out would advance both runners into scoring position.
The Knights would take a 4-3 lead as Barreiros delivered with a two-RBI double to left field as Queens retook the lead for the first time since the opening inning of the game.
The lead would be short-lived as back-to-back fielding errors would allow the Lions to tie the game and put the go-ahead run at third base before Jacobsen recorded a double play at third base to erase the runner at third. As the Lions recorded their second hit of the inning Gargano would get the fifth batter of the inning to fly out in center field to end the top half of the eighth.
In the home half of the eighth, the Knights would be retired in order before Gargano delivered with a clean inning in the top of the ninth to keep the game tied at 4-4.
In a position to walk it off, Filip opened the inning with his second hit of the game with a single to center field before the Knights called on freshman
Anthony Ippoliti (Seaford, N.Y.) to pinch run. The rookie would advance to second on a wild pitch before Jacobsen earned his second walk of the day.
With no outs, Alvarez would put down a sac bunt to advance both runners into scoring position, but the Lions attempted for a fielder's choice out to get Ippoliti at third base but a throwing error would escape the Lions' third baseman allowing Ippoliti to score the winning run as Queens earned a 5-4 walk-off victory to open ECC play on a winning note.
GAME TWO RECAP (QUEENS 9, LINCOLN 2)
In the nightcap, both sides worked out a walk to open the game before Queens scored in the home half of the second inning as they took advantage of a hit by pitch, and two walks before opening the scoring on a fielder's choice RBI as the Lions were unable to get the double play to end the inning.
With the Knights leading 1-0, Cassie kept the Lions hitless until the visitors recorded a one-out single in the top of the fourth. But Napolitano Jr. would erase the runner as they caught the runner stealing second base before Cassie ended the inning with his sixth strikeout of the day.
Looking to provide insurance runs for their starter, the Knights' offense would record four hits to score five runs in the home of the fourth as Queens extended their advantage to 6-0.
The Lions would cut the Knights' lead down to 6-2 as they used a leadoff walk before recording a triple and a two-out single to cut into the advantage. But for the second straight inning Napolitano Jr. would get the runner caught stealing second base to end the top of the fifth inning to keep the score line at 6-2.
In the top of the sixth Cassie worked out of a lead-off single to retire the next three batters before the offense added three more runs in the home of the sixth to take a 9-2 lead.
With Cassie's outing complete for the day after sixth innings, the duo of junior lefty
Nate Rodriguez (Hamilton, N.J.) and junior righty
Evan Christopher (North Babylon, N.Y.) would close out the game as they held the Lions to one hit over the final three innings of play to complete the Friday doubleheader sweep with a 9-2 game two victory.
Next Pitch
With bad weather expected to hit the Flushing area Saturday, the Knights will look to close out the four-game series against the Lions with a Sunday (Mar. 24) afternoon doubleheader. But if field conditions are deemed unplayable, the series will wrap up on Monday (Mar. 25) afternoon. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. for either day.
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