FLUSHING, N.Y. – Looking to conclude their final non-conference game on a strong note the Queens College baseball team welcomed the Chargers of the University of New Haven to Hennekens Stadium Wednesday afternoon.
The offense broke out the barrels for 19 hits led by three multi-hit performances from senior center fielder
Phillip Krpata (Farmingdale, N.Y.) (3-6 AB, 2B, 4RBI, R, SB), sophomore right fielder
Jorsixt Jimenez (Flushing, N.Y.) (3-4 AB, 2B, 2RBI, R) and junior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (3-4 AB, RBI, 3R) as the trio combined for nine hits, seven RBI and five runs scored.
The trio of senior shortstop
Francis Segarra (Bronxville, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, RBI, R), rookie left fielder
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) 2-5 AB, 2RBI, 2R), and junior catcher
Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, AZ.) (2-2 AB, 2B, RBI, 3R, BB) combined for six hits, four RBI, and six runs scored.
Lastly, junior third baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, CA) (1-3 AB, RBI, BB), junior second baseman
Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (1-5 AB, 2B, RBI, R), junior outfielder
Leo Alvarez (Oceanside, N.Y.) (1-2 AB) and rookie
Frank Romano (West Islip, N.Y.) (1-1 AB) combined for four hits, two RBI and a run scored.
On the mound junior righty
Nick Kozerski (Hicksville, N.Y.) (1.0 IP, 2K), rookie lefty
Vinay Patel (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) (W, 3-0 5.0 IP, 7H, 2ER, 2BB), freshman righty
Peter Nenadich III (Bayside, N.Y.) (1.0 IP), senior righty
Christian Duarte (Williston Park, N.Y.) (1.0 IP, 2K) and Vilardi
(1.0 IP, R, BB) combined to limit the Chargers to seven hits, three runs scored and four strikeouts with Patel recording a career-best five innings pitched to earn his third win of the year as Queens earned a 14-3 series victory over New Haven.
With the victory, the Knights improved to 28-15 overall on the year. Wednesday's win also earned the Knights their first-ever series victory over their non-conference foes in program history.
GAME ONE RECAP (QUEENS 14, NEW HAVEN 3)
It was a scoreless first inning for both sides as they worked out of a runner on base. In the top of the second, the Knights would work out of an one-out single with a heads-up play from Segarra to get the runner out at third base before Patel induced a line to Krpata to end the top of the second inning.
The Chargers began the bottom of the second getting the first out before Filip singled to left center to extend the inning. The visitors would get the second out and looked to leave Filip stranded on second base. But the Knights would rally as a RBI single to left field from Vilardi scored Filip as Queens took a 1-0 lead. Napolitano Jr. would double the Knights' advantage to 2-0 with a RBI double to right center before Krpata put the Knights up 3-0 with a RBI single to center field as Queens took a 3-0 lead following the conclusion of the second inning of play.
Patel opened the third with a fly out to Vilardi in left field before a single extended the inning. The Chargers would get two runners on before Patel worked out of trouble with a pop up to Cisco before Vilardi made a diving catch down the left field line to end the inning.
In the bottom of the third, the Knights would take a commanding lead of 10-0 using six hits to score seven runs as they sent 11 batters to the plate.
Jimenez opened the frame with a single to right field before a RBI double to left field from Cisco scored Jimenez for a 4-0 lead. As Cisco stole third base, sophomore
Joey Patane (Commack, N.Y.) (2BB, 2R) earned a five-pitch walk giving the Knights runners on the corner. With no out, back-to-back RBI singles from Filip and Segarra would give the Knights a 5-0 lead before the Chargers were able to get the first out.
Napolitano Jr. would earn a six-pitch walk to load the bases before Filip scored on a passed ball for a 7-0 lead. Queens would extend their lead to 10-0 behind a two-RBI double from Krpata and a RBI single from Jacobsen before the Chargers were able to retire the last two batters to end the inning.
As the rookie Patel worked out of a two-out walk to keep the lead at 10-0, the Knights would a commanding lead of 14-0 in the bottom of the fourth as they sent nine batters to the plate.
Patane battled for a seven-pitch walk before Filip notched his first three-hit performance of the year and 10
th multi-hit game with a single to right field. The Chargers would get the first out before rookie Vilardi notched his fourth multi-RBI of the year with a RBI single through the right side to score Patane as Queens took an 11-0 lead. A single through the right side from Napolitano Jr. would load the bases before the Chargers got the second out. Krpata notched his first four-RBI performance of the year and eighth multi-RBI game with a RBI single to right field for a 12-0 lead before the Chargers got the second out. But with the bases still loaded, Jimenez recorded his 15
th multi-RBI game of the year with his 19
th double of the year as Queens took a commanding lead of 14-0 following four complete innings of play.
The Chargers would tally a run in the top of the fifth and sixth before Patel completed a career-best outing on the mound working five innings to earn his third win of the year.
Leading by 14-2, the trio of Nenadich III, Duarte, and Vilardi would keep the Chargers hitless over the final three innings of play as Queens earned their first series victory over the Chargers to the final score of 14-3 Wednesday afternoon to complete non-conference play on a strong note.
Next Pitch
Queens closes out the regular season in their final East Coast Conference series of the year beginning on Friday (May. 3) afternoon as they welcome the Lions of Molloy University to town. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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