FLUSHING, N.Y. – With a bye week in East Coast Conference play, the Queens College baseball team opened a five-game non-conference stand by welcoming the Adelphi University Panthers to Hennekens Stadium Tuesday afternoon.
The Knights offense tallied 11 hits led by four multi-hit performances from junior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, RBI, R), sophomore right fielder
Jorsixt Jimenez (Flushing, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, R, SB), junior second baseman
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, 2SB), and redshirt junior shortstop
Francis Segarra (Bronxville, N.Y.) (2-3 AB, SB) as they combined for eight hits, a RBI and a run scored.
While the trio of senior center fielder
Phillip Krpata (Farmingdale, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, RBI, BB, 2SB), junior catcher
Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, AZ.) (1-2 AB, BB), and senior catcher
Nick Barreiros (Seaford, N.Y.) (1-1 AB, SB) combined for three hits, and a run scored.
On the mound, junior righty
Nick Kozerski (Hicksville, N.Y.) (2.0 IP, 2H, 2ER, K), freshman lefty
Vinay Patel (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) (4.0 IP, 4H, 2BB, K), junior lefty
Nate Rodriguez (Hamilton, N.J.) (1.0 IP, BB, K) and senior righty
Danny Gargano (Middle Island, N.Y.) (2.0 IP, H, 4K) combined to limit the Panthers to seven hits, two earned runs, three walks, and seven strikeouts as Patel earned his second victory of the year in relief before Gargano produced two shutout innings to earn his sixth save of the year as Queens earned a 4-2 non-conference victory.
With the victory, the Knights improved to 25-14 overall on the year and earned a series split against the Panthers. Tuesday's win over Adelphi also earned the Knights their first victory in Flushing over their non-conference foe since the 2017 season.
GAME RECAP (QUEENS 4, ADELPHI 2)
The Panthers opened the scoring using a lead-off hit by pitch before using a double and a RBI grounder to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
Queens would leave a combined four runners on the base in the first inning two of play but the pitching duo of Kozerski and Patel would keep the deficit at 2-0 before the Knights answered with three runs in the bottom of the third.
As junior third baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, CA) earned a four-pitch walk, a single to left center from Jimenez would advance Jacobsen to third base. The Temecula native would take advantage of a throwing error in a failed picked-off attempt to score from third as Queens cut their deficit down to 2-1 before the Panthers were able to get the first out.
As sophomore
Joey Patane (Commack, N.Y.) earned the Knights' second walk of the inning, a RBI single through the left side from Filip would tie the game at 2-2 as Jimenez scored.
Queens would load the bases as Segarra got hit by pitch before a wild pitch allowed Patane to score from third as Queens took a 3-2 lead. But as the third walk of the inning loaded the bases, the Panthers would avoid further damage to keep the scoreline at 3-2 as the Knights sent nine batters to the plate.
As Patel continued to shut out the Panthers in relief, the Knights would add an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Filip opened the frame notching his ninth multi-hit game of the season with a single to left field. But as the Panthers got the first out, Queens would load the bases behind freshman left fielder
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) earning his second walk of the game and a Napolitano Jr. single through the left side.
With just one out, Krpata would put the Knights up with a 4-2 fielder's choice RBI as the Panthers were unable to execute the double play.
In the top of the sixth, the Panthers would threaten with a lead-off single before Patel induced a 6-4-3 double play for two quick outs. But as a walk extended the inning, Napolitano Jr. would catch the runner stealing second base to end the threat as Queens continued to keep their 4-2 lead intact.
With Patel's outing done after four complete innings, Rodriguez worked out of a one-out walk to retire the next two batters in the top of the seventh.
Queens turned to Gargano to close out the game for the final two innings of play and the senior closer would deliver including delivering an immaculate inning in the top of the eighth. In the top of the ninth, the Panthers would get a leadoff single before Gargano induced a 5-4-3 double play to erase the threat before recording his fourth strikeout of the day for the final out of the game to earn his sixth save of the save as Queens earned a 4-2 victory and extended their winning streak to a season-best eight games on the year.
Next Pitch
Queens continues non-conference play on Friday (Apr. 26) afternoon as they travel to Bloomsburg, PA. to open a three-game series against the Huskies of Bloomsburg University. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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