YAPHANK, N.Y. – Returning to Lasorda Legacy Park to conclude their four-game series against regionally-ranked #7 Franklin Pierce University Ravens on a high note, the Queens College Baseball team rallied in game four of the series to ensure to earn a series split Saturday afternoon.
In game three of the series, the Knights would tie the game 3-3 before five runs in the top of the fourth inning would see the Ravens earn an 8-3 victory.
In the nightcap, Queens would rally twice to ensure equal splits of the series as they erased a 7-0 deficit to take a 9-8 before erasing a 12-9 deficit in the bottom of the seventh to earn their second walk-off victory of the series to the final score of 13-12.
The Knights improve to 4-5 overall after the first two weekends of play.
In game three of the series, sophomore right fielder
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (2-3 AB, RBI) recorded a multi-hit game, while the senior center fielder
Nick O'Conner (Wantagh, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B, 2RBI), graduate student third baseman
Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) (1-4 AB, R), senior catcher
Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, Ariz.) (1-3 AB, R) and junior shortstop
Nick Piazza (Queens, N.Y.) (1-3 AB) as they combined for six hits and three RBI.
Junior righty
Christopher Naronis (Floral Park, N.Y.) (L, 0-1, 4.0 IP, 8R, 7ER, 4BB, 3K) would be tagged with the loss.
As Naronis worked a clean inning to start his outing, the Queens offense went to work quickly as with one out, Sealey singled up the middle for the Knights' first hit of the afternoon. The Ravens would get the second out but a failed pick-off attempt would see Sealey advance to second base.
Next batter Vilardi would battle for six pitches before he laced a RBI single to center field scoring Sealey for a 1-0 lead.
The Ravens responded in the top of the second using three hits and one fielding error to take a 3-1 lead.
But Queens would quickly respond as senior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) earned a six-pitch walk before the Ravens got the first out. Next batter Napolitano Jr. would keep the inning alive with a single down the left field line before Piazza advanced both runners into scoring position as Ravens got the second out. O'Conner staring at a 2-0 would tie the game 3-3 with a two RBI single to center field.
However, the Ravens would put the game out of reach with five unanswered runs in the top of the fifth using four hits to take an 8-3 lead. Queens offense would be limited to one hit and three base runners over the final four innings of play as Franklin Pierce earned an 8-3 victory for a 2-1 series lead.
In the nightcap, Queens' bats would come alive as they recorded 15 hits for 13 RBI with three Knights recording a three-hit game in Sealey
(3-4 AB, 2RBI, 3R), sophomore utility
Jordan Babbo (Merrick, N.Y.) (3-5 AB, 2B, 3RBI, 2R), and senior outfielder
Leo Alvarez (Oceanside, N.Y.) (3-4 AB, HR, 4RBI, BB, R), the duo of O'Conner
(2-4 AB, 2B, BB, 3R) and Piazza
(2-4 AB, 2B, HR, 2RBI, 2R) combining for multi-hit games and the duo of senior second baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, Calif.) (1-3 AB, 2BB) and freshman catcher
Jake Levesque (Pinellas Park, Fla.) (1-3 AB, RBI, BB, R) chipping with a single.
The Knights would use four arms to limit the dangerous bats of the Ravens before Babbo
(W, 1-0, 0.1 IP, H, BB) earned his first victory of the year.
It would be a clean first inning for both sides to open the final game of the series. Vilardi
(1.1 IP, 4H, 7ER, 3BB) earning his second start of the year would be tagged with seven runs on four hits as the Knights turned to red-shirt sophomore righty
Reynaldo Angeles (Corona, N.Y.) (2.2 IP, 1H, 3BB, 3K) to limit the runs in the top of the second inning.
Angeles would get the final two outs of the inning, but Queens would go into the bottom of the second inning trailing 7-0.
Needing to cut into their deficit, with one out Babbo began his career day at the plate recording a single up the middle. But just as the Ravens got the second out, Alvarez staring at a 2-0 count would lace Queens' first home run of the inning and his first of the year with a two-run blast over left field to get within five, 7-2.
Next batter Levesque would earn a six-pitch walk before Piazza recorded his first home run of the year and the Knights' second of the frame with a two-run shot over left field as Queens ended the second inning of play trailing by three, 7-4.
Angeles would keep the Ravens at bay over the next two innings of play including working out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fourth.
With the Corona native outing complete after the top of the fourth inning, the Knights turned to junior
John Keane (Wading River, N.Y.) (2.2 IP, 5H, 5ER, 3BB, 2K) to keep the Ravens offense quiet. The Wading River native worked a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the frame to turn it over to his offense to respond.
The Knights would respond as O'Conner began the inning with a double to center field before Sealey laced a RBI single to left field scoring O'Conner to get the Knights within two, 7-5.
The Ravens would get the first out before Babbo reached on a fielder's choice but Sealey would beat the tag as Queens had two runners on and one out.
Next batter Jacobsen battled back from a 1-2 count to draw a walk and load the bases. With the bases loaded, Alvarez recorded his second hit of the afternoon with a RBI single through the left side scoring Sealey. Queens would tie the game as Levesque recorded his first career RBI with a single through the left side as Babbo scored to make it a 7-7 game after the completion of five innings of play.
However, the Ravens would take an 8-7 lead with a solo shot but Keane would keep the damage at one run as he left the bases loaded to end the inning.
Slowly starting to shift the momentum, Queens would put runners on first and second behind back-to-back singles from O'Conner and Sealey. However, as Filip just missed lacing a three-run shot to left field for the first out, Babbo's first double of the day would give Queens a 9-8 lead as he laced a two-run shot down the right field line.
Having taken the lead for the first time in the game and now three outs away from a victory, Keane would quickly get the first out before the Ravens loaded the bases using two hits and an intentional walk. The junior would induce an infield fly for the second out before a walk tied the game at 9-9 ending Keane's outing.
The Knights turned to Babbo for the final out, but a walk and a two-RBI single would give the Ravens a 12-9 advantage before the Merrick native induced a grounder to Piazza for the final out.
Trailing 12-9 and down to their final three outs of the day, the Knights would now need to complete their third rally of the day to earn the victory or force extra innings.
The Ravens would get the first out before Piazza blasted a ground-rule double to right center to start the comeback rally. Vilardi would get hit by pitch before O'Conner worked a five-pitch walk as Queens loaded the bases with one out.
As the Ravens turned to their sixth pitcher of the day, Sealey would score Piazza with a RBI single through the left side before Filip got the Knights within one with a RBI sac fly out to left field scoring Vilardi.
Next batter Babbo wasted no time looking at any pitches as he recorded his first career three-hit game of his Knights' career with a RBI single through the right side as Queens had now tied the game at 12-12 with O'Conner scoring from second base.
Jacobsen the eighth batter of the inning to come up to bat would battle back from a 2-2 count to draw his second walk of the game as Queens once again loaded the base and brought the winning run to third base.
Queens had successfully batted around to bring Alvarez the ninth batter of the inning to the plate. Having recorded three RBI on the day, the Oceanside native would ensure his fourth RBI would be a big one as the senior outfielder delivered the walk-off single as he laced a single up the middle to score Sealey and give Queens a 13-12 comeback over the #7 regionally-ranked Ravens squad and their fourth victory of the year.
NEXT PITCH
The Knights now hit the road for their first road game of the year on Wednesday, March 5 with a trip to Caldwell, N.J. as they match up against Caldwell University Cougars. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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