UNIONDALE, N.Y. – The 2024 East Coast Conference Baseball Tournament got underway Thursday afternoon as the #3 seed Queens College baseball team matched up against #2 seed Molloy University Lions at Mitchel Field.
The Knights offense outhit the Lions 10-8 led by senior center fielder
Phillip Krpata (Farmingdale, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, RBI, BB) and junior catcher
Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, AZ.) (1-2 AB, HR, 2RBI) as the duo combined for the two hits, three RBI.
On the mound, senior
Jordan Sanabria (Woodside, N.Y.) (6.1 IP, 6H, 2ER, 4BB, 4K), freshman righty rookie righty
Peter Nenadich III (Bayside, N.Y.) (1.2 IP, K) and senior righty
Danny Gargano (Middle Island, N.Y.) (L, 2-1 0.2 IP, 2H, 2ER, BB) would limit the Lions to eight hits, four earned runs, five walks to go with five strikeouts.
With the Knights down to their last out and the tying run on second base, Napolitano Jr would give the Knights a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth with his second home run of the year. However, it would be the Lions who would earn the walk-off victory to advance to Friday's winner's bracket game earning the victory to the final score of 4-3.
With the loss, the Knights moved to 30-18 overall.
GAME ONE RECAP (QUEENS 3, MOLLOY 4)
It would be a battle between two evenly matched teams as they put ace against ace.
As the Knights loaded the bases in the top of the first behind three straight singles, ECC Pitcher of the Year and Lions ace Charlie Cucchiara would avoid damage by getting out of the inning unscathed.
In response, Sanabria opened the inning with back-to-back outs before the Lions were able to load the bases behind a double and two walks, but the senior would stand his ground as he was able to retire the final out to end the inning.
But in the top of the second inning, Queens opened the frame with a single from senior
Francis Segarra (Bronxville, N.Y.) before the Lions were able to retire the next two batters but a Krpata single would extend the inning before Molloy was able to keep both runners stranded on base to end the top of the frame.
The Lions would strike first as they took advantage of a bases-loaded hit by pitch and a sac fly RBI to take a 2-0 lead after two complete innings of play.
As Sanabria worked out of a leadoff single in the bottom of the third to keep the scoreline at 2-0, the Knights would cut into their deficit in the top of the fourth.
With one out, Segarra
(2-4 AB, R) notched his second hit of the afternoon with a single to left field before Queens loaded the bases behind back-to-back hits from sophomore DH
Joey Patane (Commack, N.Y.) (1-4 AB), and senior catcher
Nick Barreiros (Seaford, N.Y.) (1-2 AB).
With one out, and bases juiced Krpata delivered the opening run of the tournament with a sac fly RBI out to left field as Segarra scored from third base to cut their deficit down to 2-1.
With four complete innings in the book, Sanabria would continue to keep his side in the game as he kept the Lions off the scoreboard over the final three innings of play as his offense searched for the tying run.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, the Lions would get a runner on first base with a single, and with Sanabria already past the century mark, the Knights turned to rookie Nenadich III to keep Queens' deficit at one, 2-1.
The rookie would deliver with back-to-back outs to end the bottom of the seventh before he retired the Lions in order in the bottom of the eighth.
With the Knights down to their final three outs, rookie
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, R) opened the frame with a single to right center before the Lions were able to retire the next two batters. With Queens down to their final out, Napolitano Jr. starring at a 0-1 count would take the ECC Pitcher of the Year for a two-run blast to center field as Queens took their first lead of the day in the final inning of the game.
Leading 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth and needing three outs to advance to the winners' bracket, it would be the Lions top of the order that would deliver for the #2 seed as they were able to defeat the Knights to the final score of 4-3.
Next Pitch
With the loss, the Knights will now have to win out of the loser's bracket to keep their 2024 season alive! Queens now await the loser of game two between #1 D'Youville University vs. #4 St. Thomas Aquinas College.
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), Queens College Baseball (@QC_Baseball) and Instagram (qcknightsny), QC Baseball (qcbaseball)
