FLUSHING, N.Y. – Opening a three-game non-conference series Saturday afternoon the Queens College baseball team welcomed Felician University Golden Falcons to Hennekens Stadium.
The senior duo of catcher
Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, Ariz.) (2-3 AB, 2B, BB, RBI) and designated hitter
Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) (1-4 AB, HR, 2RBI, R) combined for three hits and three RBI but the Knights late rally would fall short as Queens dropped the series opener to the final score of 6-3.
Game Recap
The Golden Falcons took an early lead of 4-0 in the top of the first inning as they sent nine batters to the plate before they added two more runs in the top of the fourth to take a 6-0 lead.
Queens were held hitless through the first three innings of play before with one out senior second baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, Calif.) (1-3 AB, 2B, BB) recorded an one-out double down the right field line. But the visitors would keep the senior stranded on base as they were able to retire the next two batters to end the fourth inning of play.
As the Knights' defense continued to keep the visitors' offense at bay, Queens would attempt a comeback in the bottom of the fifth as senior right fielder
Leo Alvarez (Oceanside, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, 2B, R) laced a double to right field. Alvarez would steal third base before the Golden Falcons got back-to-back outs. Napolitano Jr. would get Queens on board with a RBI double to left center as Alvarez scored to get Queens within five, 6-1.
The Knights would get a runner on in the sixth and two runners in the seventh but the Golden Falcons' defense would keep their advantage intact to end both frames.
In the bottom of the eighth, sophomore center fielder
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) would reach on a fielding error to open the inning before Golden Falcons got the first out. Next batter Sealey staring at a 1-2 count would lace his second home run of the year with a blast to left field as the Knights got within three, 6-3 after the completion of the eighth inning of play.
However, with the Knights being limited to five hits and leaving six runners on base, the Golden Falcons' early runs proved to be the difference maker in the series opener.
NEXT PITCH
The Knights conclude the series on Sunday, Mar. 23 in Lyndhurst, N.J. against the Golden Falcons with a doubleheader at Breslin Field. The first pitch is set for noon.
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