FLUSHING, N.Y. – Looking to earn an East Coast Conference series split Monday afternoon the Queens College baseball team welcomed the Lions of Molloy University to Hennekens Stadium for the final game of the series.
In a key game, the Knights were led by graduate student left fielder
Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) (2-4 AB, 2B, HR, RBI, R) eighth multi-hit of the year while senior center fielder
Nick O'Conner (Wantagh, N.Y.) (1-4 AB), senior designated hitter
Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, Ariz.) (1-2 AB, 2B, 2R, BB), rookie catcher
Jake Levesque (Pinellas Park, Fla.) (1-1 AB, RBI, BB) and junior shortstop
Nick Piazza (Queens, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, RBI) and sophomore right fielder
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (RBI, BB) combined for six hits, four RBI and four runs scored.
On the mound, the Knights would be led by the sophomore righty
Peter Nenadich III (Bayside, N.Y.) (W, 2-2 5.2 IP, 5H, 3R, ER, BB, 9K), and senior lefty
Nate Rodriguez (Hamilton, N.J.) (S, 2, 3.1 IP, 2H, BB, 4K) as they limited the hot bats of the Lions to seven hits, three runs scored, one earned, while striking out 13 batters with Nenadich III recording a career-high best nine strikeouts to earn his second ECC victory of the year before Rodriguez shut out the door to record his second save of the year as Queens earned a 4-3 victory over the Lions.
The Knights improve to 3-5 in conference play with 12 conference games to go.
GAME RECAP
With Nenadich III earning the game four start, the Bayside would retire the Lions in order in the top of the first to bring the Knights to bat for the first time on the day.
As the Lions retired the first batter to begin the home frame of the first, Sealey would open the scoring with a bang as the left fielder drilled the first pitch he saw for his home run of the year over left center field to give Queens an early 1-0 lead. O'Conner would tack in a single to right field to keep the line moving but the Lions would retire the next two batters to end the first inning of play.
The Lions would waste no time in tying the game at 1-1 as they used a walk and a two-out RBI single to tie the game at 1-1. But the sophomore righty would record his strikeout of the day to keep the runner stranded and keep the game tied at 1-1 to end the top of the second inning.
Just as the Lions were quick to respond, the Knights were not far behind as rookie third baseman
Tommy Pasqua (Williston Park, N.Y.) and Napolitano Jr. drew back-to-back walks to open the bottom of the second inning. Queens would successfully advance both runners behind a sac bunt from Levesque as the Knights put two runners in scoring position. The Knights would retake the lead as a RBI single up the middle from Piazza put Queens up 2-1 as Pasqua scored before a RBI sac fly from Vilardi brought home Napolitano Jr. as the Knights took a 3-1 lead after two complete innings of play.
Nenadich III would retire the Lions in order for the second time on the day as he induced a fly out to Vilardi in right center before he induced two swinging strikeouts to end the third.
In the top of the fourth as Nenadich III induced his third straight swinging strikeout, a double to left field would break the strikeout. But the righty would record his seventh strikeout of the day for the second out of the inning. A sharp single to Piazza would give the Lions runners in the corner but the righty would keep both runners stranded as he got the final out of the inning as he induced a liner to Sealey in left field.
Leading 3-1, the Knights would extend their lead as with one out, Napolitano Jr. laced a double to left field before a RBI single to right field from Levesque put Queens up 4-1 after four complete innings of play.
Another clean inning of work from Nenadich III in the top of the fifth including tying a career-high eighth strikeout would continue to keep the Knights in front.
With one out in the home frame of the fifth, Sealey laced a double to left field but the Lions would keep the graduate student at bay as they were able to work out of the inning.
Nenadich III opened the top of the sixth recording a new career-high in strikeouts as he recorded his ninth of the day and his seventh swing and miss of the day. But a fielding error would put a runner on base before the righty was able to get the second out of the inning with a fly out to O'Conner in center field. But back-to-back singles would see the Lions cut Queens' lead down to 4-2 before the Knights turned to Rodriguez out of the bullpen. A wild pitch would see the Lions get within one, 4-3 before the senior lefty was able to get out of the inning inducing a fly out to O'Conner for the third out.
With Queens leading 4-3 heading into the final three innings of play, the Lions would threaten in the top of the seventh as they opened the frame with a single to left field before Rodriguez got the first out with a grounder back to him.
The second Lions hit of the inning would put a runner in scoring position but Rodriguez would battle back from a 2-0 and a 3-1 count to record his first strikeout of the day before he induced the fifth batter of the inning to foul out to sophomore first baseman
Jordan Babbo (Merrick, N.Y.) near the Knights bullpen and avoid further trouble.
The Knights looking to give Rodriguez more breathing room would threaten in the bottom of the seventh as they drew two walks including a runner at third base, but the Lions' defense would come out big as they were able to turn a double play to end the inning.
For the second straight inning, the Lions threatened as they drew a walk before a fielding error gave Molloy runners on first and second base. As Molloy advanced both runners into scoring position on a sac bunt, Rodriguez would dig deep as he induced the fourth batter of the inning to fly out to left field for the second out before he froze the fifth batter of the inning to record his second strikeout of the day and keep a 4-3 lead intact.
As the Lions worked out of a fielding error in the bottom of the eighth to keep their deficit at one run, Rodriguez would shut the door for the second time in the series as he worked a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth beginning with a fly out to Vilardi in right field. The Southpaw would finish the game recording back-to-back swinging strikeouts to earn his second save of the year and improve Queens to 3-5 in ECC play.
NEXT PITCH
The Knights continue their ECC homestand on Thursday, Apr. 17 as they welcome D'Youville University Saints to town for a four-game series. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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