MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Continuing their Northeast Challenge on Friday afternoon, the Queens College baseball team matched up against the Panthers of Adelphi University at Crosley Field.
Playing in slightly warmer conditions compared to their season opener, the Knights' offense would outhit the Panthers 9-7 with a trio of Knights producing multi-hit games as they were led by senior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, 2RBI), senior second baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, Calif.) (2-3 AB, 2RBI, 2BB) and senior left fielder
Michael Prisco (Selden, N.Y.) (2-2 AB) who combined for six hits, and four RBI.
On the mound senior righty
Caleb Cassie (Vancouver, British Columbia) earned the game two start pitching 5.0 innings of work allowing three hits, three earned runs, one walk, and a career-best 11 strikeouts, but would be tagged with the loss.
GAME RECAP
The senior righty began the first two innings of his final year striking out four of the first seven batters he faced including a clean inning in the top of the second.
In the home half of the second Prisco began the inning with a bullet shot to center field. But the Panthers would keep the Selden native stranded on first as they retired the next three batters in a row.
In the top of the third, Cassie walked the first batter before a fielder's choice got the first out at second base before the Vancouver native recorded his fifth strikeout of the day and looked to be on his way in keeping the game scoreless.
But the next batter battled for six pitches before lacing the seventh pitch for a RBI triple to center field before the fifth batter of the frame put the Panthers up 3-0 with a two-run shot over left field.
Trialing 3-0 entering the bottom of the fourth, the Panthers got the first out before graduate student third baseman
Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) got hit by a pitch before next batter Prisco laced another shot into center field as the Knights had runners on first and third with one out.
Just as the Panthers got the second out, Jacobsen blasted a shot up the middle but despite a diving stop from the second baseman, the Knights would score two runs to get within one, 3-2 entering the top of the fifth.
In the top of the fifth Cassie would strikeout all three batters to finish with a new career-high in strikeouts and conclude his first outing of the year.
The Knights would get a chance to put Cassie into a winning role or non-decision as senior catcher
Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, Ariz.) got hit by a pitch before a sac bunt from junior shortstop
Nick Piazza (Queens, N.Y.) advanced the runner into scoring position to start the bottom of the fifth inning.
Sophomore right fielder
Mike Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) would lace the first pitch he saw out to left center field but unfortunately, it would be a bad break for the Knights as the ball died in the air before bouncing off the wall and straight into the hands of Adelphi's left fielder which forced Napolitano Jr. to stop at third.
With the Knights still in a pivotal position to tie or take the lead, the Panthers would retire the next two batters to keep their one run lead intact.
Adelphi would break the game open in the top of the sixth and seventh as they used two hits, and two errors to their advantage and take a 9-2 lead after the completion of the top of the seventh.
Queens would get two runs back behind Filip's two-RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the seventh. But the Knights would leave a combined seven runners on base over the final three innings of play to drop their second game of the year to the final score of 9-4.
NEXT PITCH
Day 3 (Saturday, Feb 22) of the Northeast Challenge sees the Knights match up against the Eagles of Post University in their first doubleheader of the year. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.
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