FLUSHING, N.Y. – Continuing East Coast Conference play Friday afternoon the Queens College baseball team welcomed the Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas College to Hennekens Stadium for game one of the four-game series.
The Knights offense notched 11 hits led by three multi-hit performances from senior center fielder
Phillip Krpata (Farmingdale, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, RBI, R), freshman left fielder
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, RBI, R) and sophomore
Joey Patane (Commack, N.Y.) (2-6 AB, RBI) as the trio combined for six hits, three RBI and two runs scored. While junior third baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, CA) (1-6 AB, R), sophomore right fielder
Jorsixt Jimenez (Flushing, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B, RBI, 2BB), junior second baseman
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, BB), junior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, BB) and redshirt junior shortstop
Francis Segarra (Bronxville, N.Y.) (1-4 AB) combined for five hits, a RBI and a run scored.
On the mound junior righty
Caleb Cassie (Vancouver, B.C.) (8.0 IP, 5H, 3ER, BB, 10K), senior righty
Danny Gargano (Middle Island, N.Y.) (2.0 IP, H, 3K) and junior righty
Nick Kozerski (Hicksville, N.Y.) (W, 4-0 1.0 IP, BB, 2K) would deliver for the Knights as the trio limited the Spartans to six hits, three earned runs and 15 strikeouts including eight straight shutout innings before the Knights rallied to earn a 4-3 walkoff victory in 11 innings.
With the win, the Knights improved to 21-14 overall and 11-6 in ECC play as Queens opened their fifth ECC series on a strong note.
GAME ONE RECAP (QUEENS 4, STAC 3) 11 INNS
Cassie opened his career-day outing by working a 1-2-3 inning before the Knights offense went to work in the home half of the first.
As the Spartans got the first out of the inning Jacobsen notched a single to right center before Jimenez starring a 2-2 count laced a RBI double down the left field line to put the Knights up 1-0. A hit by pitch mixed with the second out and a walk would load the bases but the Spartans would avoid further damage as they were able to limit the Knights to one run.
The Spartans would respond with a run in the top of the second to tie the game before a two-run shot to left field gave the visitors a 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the third, with two outs Patane singled to left field but the visitors would keep the sophomore stranded at first to end the inning.
As Cassie retired the Spartans in order in the top of the fourth, the Knights would cut into their deficit in the home half of the fourth. With one out, Vilardi singled through the right side before junior catcher
Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, AZ.) earned a five-pitch walk as Queens had runners on second and first with one out. As Krpata saw the first pitch of his at-bat go for a ball the Farmingdale native would lace the second pitch for a RBI single to right center as Vilardi scored from second to get the Knights within one, 3-2.
As Jacobsen advanced both Krpata and Napolitano Jr. into scoring position, a walk to Jimenez would load the bases but the Spartans would keep the tying run stranded at third base to end the fourth inning of play.
The Spartans opened the top of the fifth with a single but Cassie would get the next batter to strike out looking before the infield delivered with the next two outs as the Knights kept their deficit at 3-2.
With the Knights offense searching for runs to help their starter, the Vancouver native would go on to retire 12 straight Spartans after the leadoff single in the top of the fifth including striking out the side in the seventh and eighth inning of play as he recorded a new career-high in strikeouts with 10 on the day.
Needing to rally and down to their final six outs, Filip battled for six pitches before lacing the seventh pitch for a leadoff single through the left side to begin the bottom of the eighth. Queens would bring on freshman
Anthony Ippoliti (Seaford, N.Y.) to pinch run as the Knights put speed on the bases. Segarra would deliver with a sac bunt to advance Ippoliti to second base successfully. Next batter rookie Vilardi starring a 1-1 count would deliver with a RBI single to right center as Ippoliti scored from second to tie the game at 3-3 before Vilardi took advantage of the throw from right field to advance to second base as Queens now had the go-ahead run in scoring position and only one out.
But the Spartans would hold Vilardi at second base to keep the game tied at 3-3 heading into the ninth.
With Cassie's outing complete after eight innings of work on 111 pitches, the Knights turned to Gargano out of the pen. Gargano would retire the Spartans in order to end the top of the ninth as the visitors were retired in order over four complete innings of play.
With the opportunity to walk off, the Spartans would retire the first two batters before Cisco singled up the middle to keep the inning alive. But the Spartans would force extra innings as they induced Patane to fly out in right field.
Friday's extra-inning would be just the third overall against the Spartans since the 2013 season and the first since the 2016 season. Both of those games would take place in Flushing but it would be the Spartans who emerged victorious both times in the 11
th inning of play.
Gargano picked up where he left off as he got the first batter to strikeout for his third straight strikeout before he got the next batter to pop up to Cisco at second base. But a single up the middle gave the Spartans just their first runner since the top of the fifth inning to extend the inning. However, Gargano would keep the runner stranded at first base as he got the fourth batter to ground out to Segarra to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 10
th, the Spartans would get the first out before Segarra recorded a single to the shortstop to give the Knights a base runner but the visitors would keep the game going to send the game into the 11
th inning of play.
In the top of the 11
th, Queens went to the bullpen as they turned to Kozerski to keep the game tied at 3-3, but a fielding error would give the Spartans a base runner before stealing second base to negate the double play. But Kozerski would stick to the task as the Hicksville native struck out the next two batters as Queens looked to keep the runner stranded at second. But a five-pitch walk would give the Spartans two runners on as the visitors looked to keep history on their side.
But as the fifth batter of the inning drilled the first pitch to right field, Jimenez would make a running catch to end the top of the 11
th with the Knights top of the lineup due up to begin the home half of the 11
th.
Krpata wasted no time looking at any pitches as he singled through the left side. But as the Farmingdale native stole second base, a throwing error would allow the senior to advance to third base. With the winning run just 90 feet away, the Spartans would get the first out before the the bat was taken out of the hands of Jimenez and Cisco as the duo were intentionally walked.
With the bases juiced Patane starring at a 1-1 count would deliver with the winning RBI as he laced a single through the right side as Krpata scored from third giving Queens a 4-3 extra inning walkoff victory for their 11
th ECC victory of the year.
The extra-inning victory gave the Knights their second extra-inning victory of the year and just their first extra-inning victory over the Spartans in three games.
Next Pitch
Queens now travel to Pomona for a Saturday (Apr. 20) afternoon doubleheader against the Spartans. First pitch is set for noon.
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