FLUSHING, N.Y. – Having spent the first 12 games away from home, the Queens College softball team made their 2025 home debut in their East Coast Conference opener as they welcomed the Saints of D'Youville University to QC Softball Field Saturday afternoon.
The Knights would be shut out in game one as fielding errors hurt the home side to drop the ECC opener to the final score of 8-0.
In game two Queens offense erupted for a season-high 14 hits with 12 runs before the Knights held off a wild rally from the Saints to earn a 12-10 victory and earn a Saturday afternoon split to open ECC play.
GAME ONE RECAP
The Saints took an early 4-0 lead behind two hits and a fielding error in the top of the second inning.
In the home frame of the second, the Knights would load the bases but Saints would keep their 4-0 lead intact.
A fielding error in the top of the fourth saw the Saints take a 5-0 advantage before they added three runs in the top of the seventh to defeat the home side to the final score of 8-0.
GAME TWO RECAP
Junior
Sam Voskinarian (East Northport, N.Y.) got the game two start and retired the Saints in order before the Queens offense got to work.
As sophomore left fielder
Sienna Denino (North Babylon, N.Y.) (3-4 AB, 2B, 2RBI, BB, 3R) earned a four-pitch, the visitors would get the first out before senior third baseman
Emma Zumpol (Patchogue, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, RBI, R) singled down the left field line to advance Denino to second.
But the Saints would get the second out before sophomore shortstop
Kadie Cain (Hauppauge, N.Y.) (3-4 AB, 3B, HR, 4RBI, R) tallied a single but Denino would take advantage to score as Queens took an early 1-0 lead.
The Saints wasted little time in responding using a leadoff double to tie the game at 1-1 before Voskinarian left a runner on base to keep the game tied at 1-1.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Knights would send 14 batters to the plate as they tallied a season-high nine runs in the inning to take a commanding 10-1 lead.
As the Saints retired the first two batters, rookie second baseman
Mia Pineiro (North Babylon, N.Y.) would reach first base on a catcher's inference to kickstart the inning.
As Denino laced a single to field, sophomore utility
Caylea Campbell (Murrieta, CA.) (2-5 AB, 2B, 2RBI, R) laced a single to left field as Queens loaded the bases.
A hit by pitch to Zumpol would put Queens up 2-0 before senior center fielder
Amanda Baez (Selden, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, 2B, BB, RBI, R) laced a two RBI double to put Queens up 4-1.
Cain would put Queens in a commanding lead of 7-1 with her first home run of the year as she blasted a three-run blast over left field.
Queens would continue to keep the line moving as senior right fielder
Caroline Pescatore (North Babylon, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, R) and sophomore catcher
Shona Willoughby (Benalto, Alberta) (1-4 AB, R) tallied back-to-back to singles before junior first baseman
Allie Parascandola (East Quoque, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, 2R) got hit by pitch to load the bases before Pineiro made her second appearance at the plate. The rookie would battle to keep at-bat live before a RBI walk to put Queens up 8-1. Denino laced a two RBI double down the left field line as Queens took a commanding lead of 10-1 before the Saints were able to retire the 14
th batter to come to the plate.
Over the next two innings of play, the Saints scored a run as they looked to avoid the run rule.
In the bottom of the fourth and one out, Parascandola laced a single to right field before the Saints got the second out. But a single from Denino would keep the inning alive before a two RBI double from Campbell to right center put the Knights up 12-3 and three outs away from winning in five innings.
But the Saints would not away go quietly as they took advantage of a lead-off fielding error before they plated two runs to cut Queens' lead down to 12-5 after the top of the fifth.
The Knights would get the winning run at third base behind Cain's triple to left field but the Saint would work out of trouble to keep Queens lead at 12-5 after five complete innings of play.
Once again D'Youville continued to stay in the game as they cut Queens' lead in half to the score of 12-6 but Voskinarian and her defense would leave two runners stranded to end the top of the sixth.
Leading 12-6 and three outs away from an ECC opener split, it would be a wild finish to the game. As the junior quickly retired the first two batters in three pitchers with a grounder to Pineiro and a spectacular diving catch from Pescatore in right field, the Knights were one out away from a doubleheader split.
But the Saints would continue in their rallying away as they tallied six straight hits to cut Queens' lead down to 12-10 before the Knights made a pitching change.
With the tying run at second base, Queens turned to sophomore righty
Cheyanne Willoughby (Benalto, Alberta) for the final out. But it would be a shaky start for the final out as the sophomore hit the first batter she faced as the Saints loaded the bases and put the go-ahead run at first base.
But the Alberta native would battle as she found herself down 3-0 in the count before recording back-to-back strikes to put up a full count. In a 3-2 count and bases loaded, the Willoughby connection would come through as the sophomore righty drew a swing and miss for the third strike and final out as Queens earned a thrilling 12-10 victory and opened ECC play with a 1-1 record.
NEXT PITCH
The Knights hit the road for a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday, Mar. 27 with a trip to Pleasantville, N.Y. as they match up against the Setters of Pace University. The first pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.
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