DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Returning to East Coast Conference play Friday afternoon the Queens College baseball team made the trip to Dobbs Ferry for a doubleheader against the Mavericks of Mercy University at Mercy Field on a sunny and very windy Friday afternoon.
In game one both teams combined for 27 hits and 18 runs with the Knights being led by sophomore left fielder
Joey Patane (Commack, N.Y.) (4-5 AB, 2B, R) first career four-hit game, sophomore right fielder
Jorsixt Jimenez (Flushing, N.Y) (3-5 AB, 2B, 2RBI) third three-hit game, junior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, 2B, RBI, R) recording his sixth multi-hit game and senior second baseman
Jaden Rivera (Queens Village, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, 2RBI, R) notched his first multi-hit game of the year as they combined for 11 hits, five RBI, and three runs scored.
While the trio of graduate student center fielder
Phillip Krpata (Farmingdale, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, 2R, 2BB, SB), redshirt junior shortstop
Francis Segarra (Bronxville, N.Y) (1-4 AB, BB), and junior third baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, CA) (1-5 AB, RBI, R) combined for three hits, RBI and three runs scored.
On the mound senior righty
Jordan Sanabria (Woodside, N.Y.) (L, 0-3 5.0 IP, 11H, 7ER, 4BB, 2K) would be dealt with his third loss of the year, before junior righty
Nick Kozerski (Hicksville, N.Y.) (3.0 IP, 2H, 3R, 2ER, K) limited the Mavericks to two hits with three runs scoring
(two of them earned) as the Knights fell in game one to the final score of 10-8.
The nightcap would bring an offensive barrage as both sides combined for 44 hits, and 32 runs scored. All nine starting players for Queens would record a hit as they were led by junior third baseman
Elquin Rodriguez (Washington Heights, N.Y.) (4-5 AB, 2RBI, 2R, BB) first career four-hit performance, while four players in Jacobsen
(3-5 AB, 2 2B, 2RBI, 3R, BB), Krpata
(3-5 AB, 2RBI, 2R, BB, 3SB), Segarra
(3-6 AB, RBI, 2R), freshman right fielder
Frank Romano (West Islip, N.Y.) (3-6 AB, 2RBI, 2R) all recorded three-hit performances on the day.
While Filip
(2-5 AB, 2 HR, 3RBI, 2R, BB) and junior catcher
Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, AZ.) (2-4 AB, 2R, 2BB), Patane
(1-3 AB, HR, 2RBI, R, 2BB) and Jimenez
(1-7 AB, R) combined for six hits, five RBI and six runs scored as the offense scored a season-high 17 runs.
On the mound Junior righty
Caleb Cassie (Vancouver, B.C.) (W, 2-1 5.0 IP 12H, 5ER, BB, 3K), junior righty
Joshuel Rodriguez (Bay Shore, N.Y.) (3.1 IP, 7H, 6ER, 3K) and senior righty
Danny Gargano (Middle Island, N.Y.) (0.2 IP, 3H, 2ER, BB) would combine to hold off the hot bats of the Mavericks as Cassie earned his second win of the year.
With the DH split, the Knights improved to 13-10 overall and 4-2 in ECC play.
GAME ONE RECAP (QUEENS 8, MERCY 10)
After a scoreless first inning for both sides, Queens opened the scoring in the top of the second inning as Filip recorded a double down the left field line before Jacobsen scored the junior with a RBI single to right center as Queens took a 1-0 lead.
As Napolitano Jr. earned a walk followed by a single to right center from Patane, Queens would load the bases. The Mavericks would get the first out on a fielder's choice RBI but the Knights would extend their lead to 2-0 before Rivera put the Knights up 3-0 with a RBI grounder to second base.
Krpata would keep the line moving with a bunt single back to the pitcher before stealing second base. With runners in scoring position, a ground-rule two-RBI double from Jimenez would extend Queens' lead to 5-0.
The Mavericks would open the home half of the second with back-to-back singles before Sanabria induced the next batter to fly out to left center but the Knights would catch a break as the runner from third left third base early to get a double play and keep the home side off the scoreboard before Sanabria got the next batter to ground to third base for the final out.
As the Mavericks defense opened the third with back-to-back outs, Patane would record his second hit of the afternoon before a walk put runners on first and second. Rivera would record his second RBI of the day with a single to right field as Queens extended their lead to 6-0.
With the Knights leading 6-0, the Mavericks would cut Queens down to 6-2 with three hits in the home half of the third.
But in the home half of the fourth, with one out, the Mavericks would use three hits including a two-run shot to left center to bring them within one, 6-5 following the conclusion of the fourth.
A double play would stop Queens from scoring in the top of the fifth before the Mavericks tied the game in the bottom of the fifth before a wild pitch saw the home side take a 7-6 lead. But Queens would leave the Mavericks' bases loaded to keep their deficit to one run.
With the Knights trailing 7-6 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Mavericks would use a one-out fielding error to their advantage to score three runs as they took a 10-7 lead after seven complete innings of play.
Queens would attempt a rally in the top of the eight using a single, walk, and single to load the bases. But as the Mavericks got a 6-4-3 double play to get two outs, Queens would get a run across before a RBI single up the middle from Filip got the Knights within two runs, 10-8.
But the Mavericks would hold on for a 10-8 game one victory as the Knights were retired in order in the top of the ninth.
GAME TWO RECAP (QUEENS 17, MERCY 15)
The nightcap would be a run fest as both teams combined for 44 hits for 35 runs over the nine-inning game.
Queens began the game with singles from Jacobsen and Krpata before the Mavericks got back-to-back outs. With the Mavericks looking to leave both Knights stranded, Segarra opened the scoring with a RBI single to right field scoring Jacobsen before Krpata scored on a passed ball as the Knights took a 2-0 lead.
Mercy would waste little time responding as they used a two-out rally to score on a passed ball but Cassie would end the home half inducing the fifth batter of the inning to fly out to center field.
With one out in the second, Romano notched a single to center field before the Mavericks got the second out. With a runner in scoring position, Krpata would put the Knights up 3-1 with a RBI single to left field.
But for the second straight inning, the Mavericks would rally with two outs using the deep outfield to their advantage as they recorded six hits to take a 6-3 lead.
Trailing 6-3, Filip began the rally with his second home run in ECC play with a solo shot to left field as the Knights cut their deficit down to 6-4.
Cassie would keep the Mavericks off the scoreboard in the home half of the third to put up the first scoreless inning of the nightcap.
In the top of the fourth, the Knights would rally with four runs as Jacobsen took advantage of a passed ball to cut their deficit down to 6-5 before Queens tied the game 6-6 as the Mavericks got two outs on a double play.
With the game tied, Segarra would extend the inning with a single to shortstop before Patane laced his second home run of the year and first in conference play for a two-RBI blast to left field as Queens took an 8-6 lead.
The Mavericks would get a run back on a sac fly but Cassie would avoid further trouble to leave two bases runners stranded.
Having their advantage cut down to 8-7, Queens would extend their lead on a sac fly from Filip before the third baseman Rodriguez notched a two-RBI single to left center to put the Knights up 11-7.
For the second time on the day Cassie would keep the Mavericks off the scoreboard as he worked around a hit by pitch and walk to leave two runners stranded.
As the Knights left two runners stranded in scoring position in the top of the sixth, an inside the park HR would see the home side cut Queens' lead down to three, 11-8 before righty reliever Rodriguez worked around a single.
Queens would extend their lead to 12-8 as Filip recorded his second home of the day with his second solo shot to left field as the junior recorded two home runs in a single game for the second time in his career and first since March 31, 2021.
As the Mavericks got back-to-back outs, Rodriguez would keep the line moving before Napolitano Jr. earned a walk. A RBI single from Romano and RBI double from Jacobsen would put the Knights up 14-8 following the completion of the top of the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh Rodriguez would retire the side in order as Queens notched the first 1-2-3 outing of the day in the field.
But a six-run lead would be cut down to four, 14-10 as the Mavericks recorded their second inside the park home run of the day in the bottom of the eighth.
Leading 14-10 heading into the top of the ninth, Rodriquez earned a walk before a single from Napolitano Jr. to left field to put two runners on and no outs. Romano would complete his career day at the plate recording his first three-hit game of his young career and second RBI of the day with a single to left field as Rodriguez scored from second to put the Knights up 15-10.
A passed ball would put both Napolitano Jr. and Romona in scoring position before Jacobsen recorded his second RBI of the day to put the Knights up 16-10 not before Krpata extended the Knights' lead to seven runs, 17-10 on a sac fly.
With the Knights leading 17-10 and the Mavericks down to their final three outs, the home side would not go down without a fight as they opened the inning with a single and double.
With runners in scoring position, Rodriguez would induce the next batter to line out to Segarra at shortstop before a shot back to Rodriguez brought home a run.
With Rodriguez's outing complete for the day, Gargano would relieve his teammate and quickly get the second out as he got the fifth batter of the inning to ground out to Jacobsen at second base.
Down to their last out, the Mavericks would add drama using a walk, scoring on a wild pitch, and three straight singles to get within two runs, 17-15.
As the Mavericks successfully batted around and had the tying run at first base, Gargano would get the 10
th batter of the inning to pop up but Segarra would have to battle a glaring sun and windy conditions to make the backward catch and secure the final out as Queens earned a Friday afternoon DH split to the final score of 17-15.
Next Pitch
Attention now shifts to Flushing for a Saturday (Mar. 30) afternoon doubleheader as the Knights conclude the four-game series against the Mavericks. First pitch is set for noon.
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