FLUSHING, N.Y. – Opening a four-game East Coast Conference series in Uniondale, the Queens College baseball team matched up against defending champions Molloy University Lions at Mitchel Field.
Playing under overcast conditions to open the four-game series, it would be a pitcher's duel that saw both offenses limited to a combined eight hits with the Knights trio of senior center fielder
Nick O'Conner (Wantagh, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2B, R), graduate student left fielder
Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) (1-4 AB, R) and sophomore right fielder
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (1-3 AB) combining for three hits and two runs scored.
While the duo of rookie third baseman
Peter Bounougias (Plainview, N.Y.) and senior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) drove in the key two runs on the day for the Knights.
On the mound, the pitching trio of
Caleb Cassie (Vancouver, British Columbia), sophomore righty
Peter Nenadich III (Bayside, N.Y.), and senior lefty
Nate Rodriguez (Hamilton, N.J.) would combine to limit the hot bats of the Lions to five hits, one earned run, three walks, while recording five punchouts as Nenadich III earned his first win of the year in relief before Rodriguez shut the door for the final two outs to record the save as the Knights earned a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Lions.
With the victory, Queens earns their 10th victory of the year and second ECC victory of the year.
GAME RECAP
With one out in the top of the first, rookie
Tommy Pasqua (Williston Park, N.Y.) earned a five-pitch walk but the Lions would end the frame by retiring the next two batters.
Cassie
(ND, 6.0 IP, 2H, BB, 3K) would make his second start in ECC play and go to work right away as he faced the bare minimum in the home frame of the first despite a one-out walk as the Knights turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the first inning of play.
As the Knights were kept off the bases over the next six innings of play, Cassie would go toe-to-toe with the Lions starter James Sill as he kept the Lions' offense quiet in his six innings of work allowing just two hits, and one walk, while recording three strikeouts.
Cassie would face the minimum number of batters in four innings of work, but would not allow a runner into scoring position in his six innings of work.
In the bottom of the third, a single would open the frame but senior catcher
Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, Ariz.) would catch the runner stealing second base before Cassie retired the next two batters to keep the Lions off the scoreboard.
A two-out single in the bottom of the fourth would see the Lions get another runner on first base but once again Cassie would put up another zero on the scoreboard as he induced the fourth batter to fly out to Vilardi in right field for the third out.
After working another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, Cassie opened bottom of the sixth retiring the first two batters before a fielding error extended the inning. Cassie unfazed would get the final out of the inning as he induced a liner to second base.
With his day complete after six innings of shutout baseball, the Knights turned to sophomore Nenadich III
(W, 1-2 2.1IP, 3H, ER, 2BB, K) to continue the same pattern in the bottom of the seventh.
The Bayside native opened the frame retiring the first batter before a fielding error saw the Lions get another base runner on board. But once again Napolitano Jr. would catch the runner stealing second base for the second out of the inning. But a walk and a single to center field would see the Lions threaten as they put a runner in scoring position for the first time on the day.
But Nenadich III would ensure it would be a scoreless game heading into the top of the eighth as he froze the fifth batter of the inning to record the third out of the inning and avoid trouble.
Heading into the final two innings of play, the Knights would break up the no-hitter and the scoreless game in the top of the eighth. Sealey would break the no-hitter bid with a single to center field before Vilardi singled to right field and advanced Sealey to third base and into scoring position.
With no outs and runners in scoring position, the Lions would get the first out before rookie Bounougias produced the opening run of the game with a RBI grounder to first base as Sealey scored to put Queens up 1-0. The Lions would strand Vilardi at second base to end the eighth as they got the final out of the inning.
But the Lions would look to respond right as they opened the bottom of the eighth with a single through the left side. However, Nenadich III would stick to the task as he was able to retire the next three batters in a row and keep a 1-0 lead intact heading into the ninth inning of play.
Looking for more insurance, O'Conner began the top of the ninth with a double to left field before a sac bunt from Pasqua advanced O'Conner into scoring position.
Filip would put Queens up 2-0 as a diving O'Conner beat the tag at home plate as the Lions were unable to get the fielder's choice out.
Leading 2-0, and the Knights three outs away from a series opener victory Nenadich III retired the first batter as he induced a grounder to Bounougias for the first out. But a walk and a single through the right side would see the home side get runners on the corner as they looked for the walk-off victory.
The Knights would turn to senior Rodriguez
(S, 1 0.2 IP, K) for the final three outs. The senior would out the second out of the inning as he induced a grounder to second base but the Lions would score from third to cut the lead down to 2-1. With the tying run at first base, the southpaw would ensure the Knights would open the series with a victory as he induced a swinging strikeout for the final out of the game to record his first save of the year and help Queens earn their second ECC victory of the year.
NEXT PITCH
With Saturday's impending bad weather, the Knights return to Mitchel Field for a Sunday, Apr. 13 afternoon doubleheader. The Knights will be the away team for game one and the home team for game two. The first pitch is set for noon.
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