CLERMONT, FLA. – On Day Two of THE Spring Games, the Queens College softball team matched up against MEC member Concord University Mountain Lions and NSIC member Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs at Legends Field.
Against the Mountain Lions, the Knights recorded their first double-digit hits performance of the year to earn a 6-2 victory before falling short in the nightcap against the Mustangs to the score of 7-2 to earn a Sunday doubleheader split.
Game Recap vs. Concord University
Playing as the home team, Sophomore utility
Caylea Campbell (Murrieta, CA.) (W, 1-1, 5.1IP, 6H, 2R, 4BB, 3K) began her outing recording the first two outs before Mountain Lions tallied back-to-back hits and threatened to open the scoring early. But Campbell would get the fifth batter of the inning to ground out to shortstop sophomore
Kadie Cain (Hauppauge, N.Y.) to end the inning.
In the home frame of the first with one out, Queens would load the bases as Campbell
(2-3 AB, 2RBI, BB) earned a walk before senior third baseman
Emma Zumpol (Patchogue, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, R) got hit by pitch and senior center fielder
Amanda Baez (Selden, N.Y.) (3-4 AB, 3B, HR, 2RBI, 2R) laced a single to left field. However, the visitors would keep the game scoreless as they retired the next two batters to end the inning.
As Campbell settled in to allow just one base runner over the next two innings of play, Queens would strike first in the bottom of the third inning with five runs.
Zumpol began the inning with a single to center field before Baez plated her run of the game with a RBI triple to left center as Zumpol scored to put Queens up 1-0.
Next batter Cain earned a walk before Concord got the first out. With senior catcher
Riley O'Connor (Maspeth, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, RBI, R) battling to keep her at-bat live as she fouled off seven straight pitches, the Maspeth native would lace a RBI single to right field as Baez scored putting Queens up 2-0.
Junior first baseman
Allie Parascandola (East Quoque, N.Y.) (2-3 AB, RBI, R) would keep the scoring going with a RBI to left center scoring Cain as the Knights took a 3-0 lead.
The Mountain Lions would get the second out before sophomore left fielder
Sienna Denino (North Babylon, N.Y.) earned a walk to extend the inning before Campbell put Queens up 5-0 with a two-RBI single to right field.
Having taken the lead, Campbell would work out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fourth and a two-out double in the fifth to keep the Knights 5-0 lead intact.
Concord would start to respond in the top of the sixth before the Knights turned to junior righty
Sam Voskinarian (East Northport, N.Y.) (S 1, 1.2 IP, H, 3BB, K) to keep the Mountain Lions at bay. The visitors would cut Queens' advantage down to 5-2, but the East Northport native would leave the bases loaded to end the inning.
The Knights responded right away as Baez recorded her first home run of the year with a solo shot out to center field as Queens extended their lead to 6-2.
Voskinarian would earn her first save of her career as she opened the seventh retiring the first two batters before a walk extended the inning. But as a fielding error looked to extend the inning, the Knights would close out the game as a sharp throw to Zumpol at third base from rookie second baseman
Mia Pineiro (North Babylon, N.Y.) would catch the runner short as Queens earned their first victory of the year.
Game Recap vs. Southwest Minnesota State University
In the nightcap, the Knights would outhit the Mustangs with Cain
(2-3 AB) recording her first multi-hit game of the year, while Denino
(1-4 AB, R), Zumpol
(1-3 AB, R),
Shona Willoughby (Benalto, Alberta) (1-2 AB, BB), and junior right fielder
Brianna Call (Fishkill, N.Y.) (1-3 AB) combining for six hits and runs scored.
Sophomore
Cheyanne Willoughby (Benalto, Alberta) made her Knights debut in the circle as through five innings of work she held the Mustangs to three hits. However, three walks and two fielding errors in the bottom of the second inning would see the Mustangs take a 5-0 lead.
The Knights were held hitless through the first three innings of play before Zumpol and Cain recorded singles in the top of the fourth. But the Mustangs would leave both runners stranded as they were able to work out of the inning to keep their 5-0 lead intact.
As the Mustangs extended their advantage to 6-0 after the fifth inning of play, the Knights would threaten in the top of the sixth.
Denino opened the frame with a single up the middle before advancing to second on a wild pitch before Zumpol got hit by a pitch to give Queens two runners on and no outs.
As the Mustangs got the first out, a single through the left side from Cain would load the bases for the Knights. The home side would get the second out before O'Conner reached out a fielder's choice but a throwing error would allow Denino and Zumpol to score as the Knights were able to get within four runs, 6-2 after the top of the sixth.
Taking advantage of a walk and two wild pitches, the Mustangs would get one run back as they took a 7-2 lead into the top of the seventh.
Looking to rally,
Shona Willoughby (Benalto, Alberta) and Call opened the frame with singles as the Knights put two runners in scoring positions.
But the Mustangs would retire the next batters as Queens fell short to the final score of 7-2.
NEXT PITCH
With a day off on Monday, the Knights return to action on Tuesday, Mar. 11 with two more games beginning with a match-up against regionally foe and NE10 member American International College Yellow Jackets at 2 p.m. before concluding the afternoon against MEC member Point Park University Pioneers at 4:15 p.m.
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), Queens College Softball (@qcsoftball), and Instagram (qcknightsny), qcsoftball (@qcsoftball)
