FLUSHING, N.Y. – Celebrating their annual Senior Day Saturday afternoon, the Queens College baseball team welcomed the Huskies of Bloomsburg University to town in a non-conference doubleheader at Hennekens Stadium.
Prior to the first pitch, 11
th year head coach
Chris Reardon, Athletic Director
Robert Twible, and the Knights honored their nine graduating seniors in their annual Senior Day Ceremony.
Alex Zavala Rios (Queens, N.Y.),
Christian Duarte (Williston Park, N.Y.),
Jaden Rivera (Queens Village, N.Y.), shortstop
Francis Segarra (Bronxville, N.Y.), Evan Christopher (North Babylon, N.Y.), Joshuel Rodriguez (Bay Shore, N.Y.), Nick Barreiros (Seaford, N.Y.), Jordan Sanabria (Woodside, N.Y.), Danny Gargano (Middle Island, N.Y.) were all honored for their dedication to the baseball program.
In game one the Knights offense tallied seven hits led by senior center fielder
Phillip Krpata (Farmingdale, N.Y.) (3-4 AB, 2B, RBI, R, 2SB) fourth three-hit performance of the year, while
junior second baseman
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, RBI, R), sophomore
Joey Patane (Commack, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, 3B, 2RBI), Rivera
(1-3 AB) and Barreiros
(1-3 AB, R) combined for the seven hits, four RBI, and three runs scored.
On the mound senior right Sanabria
(W, 3-4 7.0 IP, 4H, 6K) would fire his second straight complete game victory of the year and his second career shutout as he limited the Huskies to four hits, and zero walks to go with six strikeouts as Queens earned a game one victory to the final score of 5-0.
In the nightcap, the Knights offense tallied 11 hits led by three multi-hit performances from Krpata
(2-4 AB, 2B, 2R, 3SB), Cisco
(2-4 AB, RBI, 2R), and Segarra
(2-3 AB, 3RBI) combing for six hits, four RBI and four runs scored.
While junior third baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, CA) (1-1 AB, R, BB), sophomore right fielder
Jorsixt Jimenez (Flushing, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, R), Patane
(1-3 AB, 2B, RBI, R), junior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B, 2RBI, R) and Barreiros
(1-2 AB, R) combined for five hits, three RBI and five runs scored.
On the mound, freshman righty
Peter Nenadich III (Bayside, N.Y.) (W, 5-3 4.0 IP, H, ER, 5BB, 5K), righty Christopher
(0.2 IP, H, 3R, 2BB), junior lefty
Nate Rodriguez (Hamilton, N.J.) (0.2 IP, 1H, 2ER, BB) and right Gargano
(1.2 IP, H, 2ER, 2BB, 5K) combined to limit the Huskies eight runs
(five earned), 10 strikeouts as Nenadich III earned his team-tying fifth victory of the year before Gargano closed the door for his seventh save of the year as Queens completed the Senior Day sweep to the final score of 9-8.
With the victory, the Knights improved to 27-15 overall on the year.
GAME ONE RECAP (QUEENS 5, BLOOMSBURG 0)
It would be a pitcher's duel through the first four and a half innings of play. As Sanabria limited the Huskies to just three runners on base through five innings, Queens would leave four runners stranded on base.
After Sanabria worked two straight clean innings in the top of the fourth and fifth, the Knights offense went to work in the bottom of the fifth.
As rookie left fielder
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) reached first base on a fielding error, the Knights would execute a hit and run as Barreiros singled through the right side before the Huskies were unable to execute fielder's choice at third base allowing Queens to load the bases.
With no outs, the Huskies would get the first out at home plate on a fielder's choice 5-2 play to get Vilardi out but the Knights would still have the bases loaded.
Jimenez worked a four-pitch RBI walk to open the scoring before a RBI fielder's choice for the second out put the Knights up 2-0. Next batter Patane would clear the bases with a two RBI triple to left field as Queens took a commanding lead of 4-0 after five complete innings of play.
The Woodside native would work his third straight clean inning of play before Queens used a one-out walk to Vilardi to their advantage. As a throwing error allowed Vilardi to advance to second base, Barreiros would advance the rookie to third base before Krpata delivered with a RBI single through the right side scoring Vilardi as Queens took a 5-0 lead.
As Sanabria went on to retire his 10
th straight batter, the Huskies would notch just their fourth hit of the game and first since the top of the third inning of play.
But the senior would ensure there would be no comeback on hand as he induced a grounder to Segarra for a 6-4 fielder's choice play for the second out before he struck out the next batter to ring up six strikeouts and earn his second career shutout victory and second straight complete game victory as Queens evened the series 1-1 with a 5-0 victory.
GAME TWO RECAP (QUEENS 9, BLOOMSBURG 8)
The runs would come early in the nightcap for Queens after Nenadich III worked a clean top of the first inning. In the home half of the first, Krpata began the inning with a single to third base before a sac bunt from Jacobsen advanced the center fielder to second base.
The speedy Krpata would steal third base before a throwing error allowed Krpata to score as Queens took an early lead of 1-0.
Back-to-back singles from Jimenez and Cisco would keep the line moving before a RBI double down the left field line from Patane scored Jimenez before the Huskies were able to get the second out.
But Segarra would put the Knights up 3-0 with a RBI single through the left side as Queens sent eight batters to the plate to open the game.
As Nenadich III retired two batters on swing strikeouts mixed in with a walk, a single and two walks would see the Huskies cut the Knights' advantage down to 3-1 before the rookie induced a grounder to Segarra for a 6-4 fielder's choice play for the third out.
Queens would add a run in the bottom of the second behind Krpata stealing second base before Jacobsen singled to shortstop but Krpata would take advantage to score as Queens took a 4-1 lead.
The rookie would work out of two lead-off walks in the top of the third and fourth to keep the Knights lead at 4-1.
In the home half of the fourth Barreiros opened the inning reaching first base on hit by pitch before the Huskies got the first out. As Jacobsen worked a six-pitch walk, the Huskies would get the second out as they looked to be getting out of trouble and leaving two runners stranded on base.
But Cisco starring at a 2-0 count laced the third pitch of his at-bat for a RBI single to right field to score Barreiros giving Queens a 5-1 lead. But the second hit by pitch of the inning would load the bases before Filip delivered with a two-RBI double to left center followed by a two-RBI single up the middle from Segarra to give Queens a commanding lead of 9-1 after four complete innings of play.
The visitors would three runs back on a single, two walks, and two fielding errors as the Knights advantage was cut down to 9-4 in the top of the fifth.
Walks would continue to hurt the Knights as the Huskies took advantage to cut the Knights lead down to 9-8 in the top of the sixth
But Gargano would strikeout two batters as he left the tying run stranded at first base to end the top of the sixth.
The All-Time closer would ensure there would be no comeback as he worked a clean top of the seventh with three straight strikeouts to run his strikeout total to five batters on the day in 1.2 innings of work as Queens completed the Senior Day sweep to the final score of 9-8.
Next Pitch
Queens concludes non-conference play on Wednesday (May .1) afternoon as they welcome the Chargers of the University of New Haven to town. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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