FLUSHING, N.Y. – Opening a four-game East Coast Conference series Thursday afternoon the Queens College baseball team welcomed D'Youville University Saints to Hennekens Stadium.
The offense notched 15 hits with five Knights recording multi-hit performances led by senior center fielder
Nick O'Conner (Wantagh, N.Y.) (3-5 AB, RBI, BB), rookie shortstop
Tommy Pasqua (Williston Park, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, 3RBI, R), rookie third baseman
Tommy Pasqua (Williston Park, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, 2RBI, 2R, BB), graduate student left fielder
Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) (2-6 AB, 2B, 3R), and senior second baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, Calif.) (2-4 AB, R) combining for 11 hits, six RBI and seven runs scored.
While rookie third baseman
Peter Bounougias (Plainview, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, 2RBI, 4BB), rookie
Matthew Jackson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) (1-1 AB, RBI, R), senior DH
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, R, BB) and red-shirt freshman
Evan Paladino (Wantagh, N.Y.) (1-1 AB, 2R) combined for four hits, three RBI and four runs scored.
GAME RECAP
The Saints opened the game with a quick 4-0 using a one-out rally to load the bases behind a double, single, and a hit by pitch before a shot over center field gave the visitors an early lead.
Queens would waste little time in answering back in the home frame of the first inning. As O'Conner singled to right field to begin the frame, a fielder's choice play would erase the senior center fielder as Sealey reached first base safely but the Saints would get the first out. Jacobsen would single to right field as Sealey advanced to second base but a fielding error would allow the senior to advance to third base.
A wild pitch would score Sealey before the Saints got the second out of the inning. But the Knights would keep the line moving as a RBI single from Vilardi to right field would score Jacobsen before a RBI single to left field from Pasqua scored Vilardi as the Knights were able to get within one, 4-3 after the completion of the first inning of play.
But for the second straight inning, the Saints took advantage of free base runners to take a 10-3 lead as they used three hits including their second grand slam of the inning.
Queens would leave two bases runners stranded in the second inning of play before the Knights were able to work out of a one-out single to keep their deficit at 10-3 after the top of the third inning.
In the home frame of the third inning, Queens would load the bases behind singles from Filip and Vilardi before Pasqua got hit by a pitch. Rookie Bounougias would battle for a seven-pitch RBI walk to bring home the fourth run of the day for the Knights. A sac fly RBI from sophomore
Jordan Babbo (Merrick, N.Y.) would get the Knights within five, 10-5 as Vilardi scored. But as the Saints got the second out of the inning, O'Conner would get the Knights within four, 10-6 with a RBI single to left field. However, the Saints would leave two Knights stranded on base to end the third inning of play.
As the Knights left base runners stranded in the fourth, sixth, and seventh inning of play, the Saints would extend their lead to 13-6 after seven complete innings of play.
Both teams combined for 13 runs over the final two innings of play but the early damage done by the Saints would prove to be enough as the Knights fell to the final score of 20-12 in the series opener.
NEXT PITCH
The Knights continue the ECC series with a Friday, Apr 18 afternoon doubleheader against the Saints. The first pitch is set for noon.
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