FLUSHING, N.Y. – Down to their final six games and needing at least wins to keep their hopes alive for an East Coast Conference spot, the Queens College softball team went 4-2 on the week earning doubleheader splits against Molloy and St. Thomas Aquinas College before completing a road sweep over D'Youville to officially clinch the third seed to the upcoming postseason tournament.
 
The Knights are in search of their fourth ECC title in program history. The first three titles came in 1999, 2001 and 2015.?

ECC Double Elimination Tournament (May 2 – May 4)

The ECC Double Elimination Tournament is set for May 2 (Thursday) – May 4 (Saturday) in Rockville Centre, N.Y., and is hosted by Co-Regular Season Champions and #1 seed Molloy University Lions at Bob Klein Field.
 
Queens College will match up against defending champions and #2 seed St. Thomas Aquinas College on Thursday (May. 2) in game two of the tournament at 2:30 p.m. on Day one.
 
Day two of the Tournament will feature three games beginning with the winners' bracket on Friday (May 3) morning at 11 a.m. Day three will feature the Championship game (game six) on Saturday (May 4) at noon and if necessary (game seven) 30 minutes following the conclusion of game six.

Scouting the Knights (17-25 Overall, 10-10 ECC Record)

11th-year head coach Amy Delmore and the Knights will enter the ECC Tournament having completed the regular season with an overall record of 17-25, 10-10 in ECC play. The 17 wins are the most in a single season since the 2015 season when the Knights went 35-16 overall and went on to win the ECC Tournament.
 
In the ECC Preseason Poll, the Knights were voted to finish fifth and not in the race for a postseason spot. But the 2024 squad would have other ideas as the Knights earned their second straight postseason appearance and fourth under Delmore's guidance. In the four-game series against ECC opponents, the Knights earned two series victories over Mercy University (3-1) and D'Youville University (3-1), a series split with College of Staten (2-2) a victory over Molloy (1-3) and STAC (1-3) to clinch the third seed.
 
Over the course of the year, the Knights picked up their first ECC series victory over Mercy (first since 2016), their first-ever series victory over D'Youville including two victories in Buffalo, and ended a 20-game losing streak against defending champions St. Thomas Aquinas.
 
The Knights are led by freshman utility Caylea Campbell (Murrieta, CA) who leads the team on both ends of the field. The Murrieta native has put together quite a resume in her first year in Flushing playing 40 games, with 38 starts as she batted a team-high .426, OPS % of 1.191, SLG % of .687 an OB % of .504 notching 49 hits, 15 doubles, five home runs, 17 walks, 17 runs scored and 34 RBI. She has recorded 11 multi-hit games notching eight two-hit games, two three-hit games, and one five-hit game to go with a team-high 10 multi-RBI games with eight two-RBI and two three-RBI performances on the year.
 
During the year, she recorded a team-high 10-game hitting streak and an 11-game reached base streak.
 
While in the circle she has started 23 games earning a pitching record of 11-9 in 146.0 innings pitched allowing 175 hits, 64 earned runs, 56 walks, and 95 strikeouts with an ERA of 3.07 to go with 18 complete games and one shutout.
 
Among the ECC in the offensive categories Campbell is first in batting average, OB %, second in SLG %, OPS, doubles (tied), third in walks, fourth in home runs, and 10^th in hits.
 
While in the circle, she is third in strikeouts (first in strikeouts looking), fourth in wins, Opposing batting average, innings pitched, and fifth in earned runs average.
 
Campbell has been named to the ECC Weekly Report Sheet on seven separate occasions.

• Player of the Week (Apr. 29)
• Pitcher & Rookie of the Week (Mar. 11)
• Rookie of the Week (4x) (Mar. 11 | Mar. 25 | Apr. 1 | Apr. 29)
• Honor Roll (Apr. 8 | Apr. 15 | Apr. 22)  

Junior center fielder Amanda Baez (Selden, N.Y.) has put together a career year batting .320, SLG % of .913, SLG % of .492, and OB % of .421 as she totaled 41 hits, eight doubles, one triple, 11 walks, 19 RBI and a team-high 27 runs scored.
 
During the year, she recorded a five-game hitting streak and an eight-game reached base streak. Baez also recorded 11 multi-hit games notching 10 two-hit games, and one three-hit game to go with six multi-RBI games with five two-RBI and one four-RBI performance.
 
Baez was named to the ECC Weekly Report Sheet on two separate occasions.
 
Following All-ECC honoree in 2023 junior third baseman Emma Zumpol (Patchogue, N.Y.) has been stellar playing the hot corner in all 42 games started. The Patchogue native batted .287, OPS % of .714, recording 41 hits (tied for second), seven doubles, 10 RBI, 11 walks, and 25 runs scored.
 
During the year, she recorded a five-game hitting streak and an eight-game reached base streak. Zumpol also recorded 11 multi-hit games notching eight two-hit games and three three-hit games.
 
Also, Zumpol was named to the ECC Weekly Report Sheet on March 11.
 
While senior first baseman Jenny Murphy (East Islip, N.Y.) capped off final collegiate year playing all 42 games batting .269, OPS % of .710, SLG % of .400 while recording 35 hits, three doubles, one triple, four home runs, nine walks, 18 runs scored and 24 RBI (second on the team).
 
In the last three years, senior righty Arianna Fracchioni (Westbury, N.Y.) seasons have been hampered by injuries, but this year the righty would help the Knights as she produced on both ends of the field. In 25 games played with 24 starts, Fracchioni batted .312, OPS % of .742, SLG % of .377 recording 24 hits, two doubles, one home run, five walks, and three runs scored to go with 13 RBI.
 
Earning 15 starts in the circle the Westbury native would help the Knights record six wins in 99.2 innings pitched allowing 130 hits, 42 earned runs, 32 walks, and 35 strikeouts as she totaled 12 complete games to go with one shutout.
 
On April 24 in the Knights 4-0 victory the senior shutout defending ECC Champions STAC as Queens defeated the Spartans for the first time in 20 games before producing a two-hitter in the 5-1 victory over D'Youville on April 26 as Queens completed the series sweep in Buffalo.
 
Fracchioni was named to the ECC Weekly Report Sheet on two separate occasions.

#1 Seed Molloy University Lions Preview (28-20 overall, 16-4 ECC)

Overall Record (Since 2000): 26-51-1
Current Streak: L1
Last Win: 6-5 (A, 4/23/24)
Last Loss: 1-6 (A, 4/23/24)
Postseason Record (Since 2000): 1-3
Molloy enters the tournament with an overall record of 28-20 and 16-4 in ECC play and will play as the host site having earned the #1 seed and Co-Regular Season Championship.
 
The Knights trail the overall series 26-51-1. During the regular season, the Knights went 1-3 with the lone victory coming at Bob Klein Field to the final score of 6-5.
 
In the 2023 Tournament, the Knights upset the #1 seed Lions to the final score of 9-0 victory which ended a two-game losing streak in postseason play. If the two sides meet in the 2024 tournament, it will be the fifth overall meeting against the Lions with the Knights trailing postseason play to the record of 1-3.
 
Chrissie Huhn leads the Lions with a team-high batting average of .404 with 65 hits, nine doubles, three triples, one home run, 14 walks, 38 runs scored, and 25 RBI. While Alex Burns is batting .342 with 50 hits, 10 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 17 walks, 27 runs scored, and 41 RBI.
 
In the circle, Sophia Mariottini leads the Lions with 14 wins in 146.2 innings pitched allowing 144 hits, 53 earned runs, 21 walks, and has struck out 109 batters.

#2 Seed St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartans Preview (29-21 overall, 16-4 ECC)

Overall Record (Since 2000): 42-35
Current Streak: W1
Last Win: 4-0 (H, 4/24/24)
Last Loss: 2-8 (H, 4/24/24)
Postseason Record: 2-1
The Spartans enter the week with an overall record of 29-21, 16-4 in ECC play, and enter the tournament as the #2 seed for the second straight year. The Knights lead the overall series 42-35 and went 1-3 during the regular season which included ending a 20-game losing streak as Queens earned their first victory since April 22, 2018.
 
Thursday's first round game will be the fourth overall meeting against the Spartans in postseason play with the Knights holding a 2-1 record. Last season the Knights fell short in the winner's bracket game to the final score of 1-3. Before the 2023 postseason game, the Knights first met the Spartans back in the 2006 postseason tournament which saw Queens earn a 9-0 and a 5-3 victory.
 
Eliana Raposo leads the offense with a team-high batting average of .374 with 58 hits, 12 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 41 runs scored, nine walks, and 46 RBI. While Elyse Marcano holds a batting average of .370 with 64 hits, 12 doubles, six triples, one home run, 11 walks, 44 runs scored, and 28 RBI.
 
In the circle, Sarah Clancy has totaled a team-high 16 wins in 175.2 innings allowing 177 hits, 68 earned runs, 52 walks, and has struck out 142 batters.?

#4 Seed Mercy University Mavericks Preview (14-26 overall, 8-12 ECC)

Overall Record (Since 2000): 46-26
Current Streak: L1
Last Win: 12-5 (A, 4/13/24)
Last Loss: 5-6 (A, 4/13/24)
Postseason Record: -
The Mavericks enter the tournament with an overall record of 14-26, 8-12 in ECC play and earned the #4 seed with a doubleheader split over College of Staten Island. The Knights lead the overall series 46-26 and won the regular season series to the record of 3-1 earning their first series victory since the 2016 season.
 
If the two sides meet during the tournament, it will be the first-ever meeting in postseason play.
 
Shannon Sisco leads the team with a team-high batting average of .416 with 57 hits, six doubles, three triples, one home run, five walks, 28 runs scored, and 18 RBI. While Samantha Franck is batting .339 with 40 hits, nine doubles, 18 home runs, eight walks, 30 runs scored, and 38 RBI.
 
In the circle, Mackayla Secoda leads the team with six wins in 93.0 innings allowing 112 hits, 48 earned runs, 38 walks, and has struck out 45 batters.

NCAA Softball Tournament

If the Knights win the 2024 ECC Tournament, the Knights will clinch the automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Softball Tournament and make their first appearance since the 2015 season.

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