MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The five-game Myrtle Beach trip concluded Sunday afternoon as the Queens College baseball team (2-3 overall record) matched up against the Purple Knights of the University of Bridgeport at Polo Grounds.
In a game that lasted three hours and 24 minutes, both teams combined for 26 hits, 23 runs, and three fielding errors before the Purple Knights withstood a late rally from the Knights to defeat Queens to the final score of 13-10.
Five Knights combined for 11 hits led by two three-hit performances from sophomore right fielder
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (3-6 AB, 2B, RBI, 2R), graduate student third baseman
Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) (3-4 AB, 2B, 4RBI, R), two two-hit performances from senior center fielder
Nick O'Conner (Wantagh, N.Y.) (2-4 2 2B, 3R), and junior shortstop
Nick Piazza (Queens, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, 2RBI, BB, R) and a multi-RBI game from senior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (1-5 AB, 2RBI, R).
In a run-filled game senior lefty
Robert Nunez (Manhattan, N.Y.) was tagged with the loss allowing five hits, five runs scored four of them earned to go with four walks.
GAME ONE RECAP
The Knights went to work quickly as with one out O'Conner recorded a double to left center before Sealey began his four-RBI day with a single to center field as O'Conner scored to put Queens up 1-0.
However, over the next four innings of play, the Knights would be limited to just one base runner while the Purple Knights scored nine unanswered runs to take a 9-1 lead by the completion of the fifth inning.
Queens would quickly wake up the bats as the duo of Vilardi and O'Conner recorded back-to-back hits before Sealey delivered with a two-RBI double to left center as the Knights looked to put together a comeback attempt.
With no outs, the Purple Knights would avoid further damage to keep their advantage at 9-3 before they used the long ball to extend their lead to 11-3 after the completion of the sixth inning.
In the top of the seventh, the Knights showed they would not go away without a fight as they put together quality at-bats recording four hits, three walks, and a hit by pitch to score a season-high seven run inning which would get them within one run of tying the game.
With two outs and runners on the corner, a batter interference call would break the momentum as Bridgeport was able to end the inning and keep their 11-10 lead intact.
The Purple Knights would add two insurance runs before sealing the game to the final score of 13-10.
NEXT PITCH
The Knights will now use the week to prepare for a four-game series against the Franklin Pierce University Ravens. The series start date will be announced later this week
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), Twitter (@QCKnights), Queens College Baseball (@QC_Baseball) and Instagram (qcknightsny), QC Baseball (qcbaseball)
