STROUDSBURG, PA. – Returning to Pennsylvania but this time with a midweek stop in Stroudsburg, the Queens College baseball team matched up against nationally ranked #11 East Stroudsburg University Warriors at Creekview Park.
Matching up against another Top 15 team in the country for the fifth straight game, the Knights' offense erupted for 14 hits as they were led by career days from junior shortstop
Nick Piazza (Queens, N.Y.) (4-5 AB, 2RBI, R), rookie third baseman
Tommy Pasqua (Williston Park, N.Y.) (3-5 AB, 3B, 3RBI, R) as the duo combined for seven hits, five RBI and two runs scored.
While the senior duo of first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, 2B, 2RBI, R), graduate student designated hitter
Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) (2-4 AB, 2B, 2R, BB) knocked in multi-hit games combining for four hits, two RBI, and three runs scored.
Lastly, senior second baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, Calif.) (1-2 AB, 3B, RBI, R, 3BB), rookie left fielder
Matthew Jackson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, 3R, 3BB), and rookie catcher
Jake Levesque (Pinellas Park, Fla.) (1-5 AB) sophomore center fielder
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) and senior right fielder
Leo Alvarez (Oceanside, N.Y.) combined for three hits, and six runs scored as the offense tallied 11 runs.
On the mound sophomore righty
Peter Nenadich III (Bayside, N.Y.) (4.0 IP, 5H, 4ER, 4BB, 2K), senior lefty
Robert Nunez (Manhattan, N.Y.) (W, 1-2, 3.0 IP, 4H, 3ER, 2BB, 2K) and senior righty
Nick Kozerski (Hicksville, N.Y.) (S, 2, 2.0 IP, K) combined to hold the Warriors offense to nine hits, seven earned runs with Nunez picking up his first career victory and Kozerski recording his second save of the year as Queens held off the Warriors rally to earn an 11-7 victory over the #11 ranked team in the country.
Notable
For the second straight year head coach
Chris Reardon and his Knights have defeated a Top 25 team in the nation when they defeated #25 Goldey Beacom and #14 Molloy University. It is the closest victory against a team near the Top 10 in the nation since Reardon and his 2017 squad defeated #12 Franklin Pierce University back on February 24, 2017.
Game Recap
Having nearly knocked off #7/#10 West Chester University on Saturday, the Knights would stay on course as they looked to return to the winning column Tuesday afternoon.
As the Warriors opened the game retiring the first out, Jacobsen earned a walk before Sealey recorded a double to keep the inning going as the Knights put two runners in scoring position. With one out, Filip quickly put the Knights up 2-0 with a two-RBI single scoring Jacobsen and Sealey.
East Stroudsburg would waste little time in responding using a lead-off walk before a two-out double saw the home side cut the visitors' advantage down to 2-1. However as Nenadich III walked his second batter of the inning, he would keep the 2-1 intact by getting out of the inning with a fielder's choice play.
Looking to get the run back, the Knights offense went to work right away as Jackson drew a walk before Pasqua began his career day at the plate with a single before a single from Levesque loaded the bases with no outs.
Piazza who tallied his first career four-hit game began his career day by put Queens up 3-1 with a RBI single as Jackson scored before the Warriors got out of the inning.
A solo shot from Warriors would once again get them within one 3-2 but Nenadich III would keep the damage at one run to keep the 3-2 lead intact.
Looking to keep the runs flowing, Sealey recorded his second hit of the afternoon with a single before the Warriors got back-to-back outs. With the Warriors looking to leave Sealey stranded, Jackon extended the inning with a single as Queens had runners on first and second before Pasqua recorded his first career triple to clear the bases as the Knights took a 5-2 lead after the completion of the top of the third inning.
The Warriors' offense continued to chip into the Knights advantage with another solo shot but once again the Bayside native would keep the damage at one run as the righty left two runners stranded to keep a 5-3 lead intact.
However as the Knights were unable to take advantage of a Piazza single and a Jacobsen walk, the Warriors were once again limited to one run as both sides combined for nine runs after four complete innings of play with Queens leading 5-4.
Queens continuing to keep their bats hot were led by Filip opening the top of the fifth with a lead-off double before advancing to third as the Warriors got the first out.
As Jackson earned a walk, Filip would score on a wild pitch as Queens extended their lead to 6-4.
Leading 6-4 Queens would turn to the bullpen as they brought in lefty Nunez to keep to keep the Warriors at bay.
For the first time on the day, the Warriors were retired in order as Nunez worked a clean frame in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Knights would once again threaten to extend their lead in the top of the sixth but the Warriors would avoid trouble before Nunez worked out of back-to-back singles as he retired the next three batters in a row to keep the 6-4 lead intact.
Needing insurance runs against the Warriors, Queens would erupt for five runs in the top of the seventh.
As the Warriors got the first batter of the inning to fly out to left field, Alvarez and Jackson drew back-to-back walks before rookie Pasqua delivered with a RBI single scoring Alvarez as Queens took a 7-4 lead.
The Warriors would get the second out with another fly ball out to the left field before a RBI single from Piazza put Queens up 8-4.
With two outs and two on, the Warriors looked to have escaped allowing only two runs before a drop fly ball out in left field allowed Piazza and Pasqua to score as Queens extended their advantage to 10-4.
A RBI triple from Jacobsen, his third of the year would give Queens their 11
th run of the afternoon and close the scoring for the Knights as the visitors took a commanding lead of 11-4 after the top of the seventh came to a close.
Nunez would retire the Warriors in order in the home frame of the seventh before running into trouble in the eighth.
East Stroudsburg used two singles, two walks, and two hit by pitches to cut an 11-4 lead down to 11-7 before the Knights turned to closer Kozerski to keep the Warriors at bay.
With no outs, and bases loaded, Kozerski would induce the first batter he faced to line out to Pasqua at third base before he induced the next batter to ground out into a 4-6-3 double play to end the bottom of the eighth and keep the lead safe.
Kozerski would return in the bottom of the ninth to close out the game and earn his second save of the year as he retired the Warriors in order as Queens completed an upset victory over #11 East Stroudsburg Tuesday afternoon.
NEXT PITCH
The Knights return to action at Hennekens Stadium on Saturday, Mar. 22 as they open a three-game series against Felician University Golden Falcons. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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