FLUSHING, N.Y. – The four-game East Coast Conference series wrapped up Saturday afternoon as the Queens College baseball team matched up against D'Youville University Saints at Hennekens Stadium.
Trailing the game 1-0, the Knights would rally back to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh but the Saints would counter in the top of the eighth with a six-run inning before the visitors held the Knights at bay to earn a 7-1 game four victory and earn an 2-2 series split.
With the series split, the Knights move to 5-7 in ECC play with two series to go against Mercy University and St. Thomas Aquinas College.
Four Knights in graduate student left fielder
Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) (2-4 AB, 2B, R), senior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, RBI), rookie third baseman
Peter Bounougias (Plainview, N.Y.) (2-3 AB, 2B) and senior center fielder
Nick O'Conner (Wantagh, N.Y.) (1-4 AB) combined for seven hits as the trio of Sealey, Filip and Bounougias recorded multi-hit performances with Filip recording the lone RBI for the Knights.
GAME FOUR RECAP (QUEENS 1, D'YOUVILLE 7)
Sophomore righty
Peter Nenadich III (Bayside, N.Y.) made his second start of the week as he went toe to toe with Saints starter Billy Morris in the rubber game.
Nenadich III would work two straight clean innings to start his outing before the Saints took a 1-0 lead using a walk and single to left field.
Morris would keep the Knights off the bases until the home half of the fourth as O'Conner recorded a single to right field to open the frame. But as the Saints recorded back-to-back outs, Filip would lace a single to right center however the Saints would get O'Conner short at third base on a timely throw from the right fielder to get out of the inning without any damage.
With the Bayside native continuing to keep his side in the game, Knights base running would hurt further scoring opportunities.
In the bottom of the fifth, Bounougias laced a single through the right side but the rookie would get picked off at first base for the first out of the inning before Morris retired the next two batters in a row to end the fifth.
As Nenadich III completed six innings of work and kept the deficit at 1-0, Queens would get another base runner in the home half of the sixth virtue of a walk but once again the Saints would get out of the inning unscathed to keep their 1-0 lead intact.
In the top of the seventh, the Knights were able to work out of a walk and a single to keep their deficit at 1-0.
Sealey opened the home half of the seventh with a single to third base before a sac bunt advanced the senior to second base as Queens had their first runner in scoring position. As a passed ball advanced Sealey to third base, a RBI single from Filip would score Sealey as the Knights were able to tie the game at 1-1.
Next batter Bounougias would lace a double to right center as Queens now had two runners in scoring position and only one out. The Saints would walk intentionally walk senior right fielder
Leo Alvarez (Oceanside, N.Y.) to load the bases but Morris would induce a liner to first base for a double play to end the inning and keep the game tied at 1-1.
However, that would be the closest the Knights would get as the Saints rallied with a six-run inning in the top of the eighth before they held the Knights offense at bay over the final two innings of play to earn a 2-2 series split.
NEXT PITCH
The Knights return to non-conference play on Tuesday, Apr. 22 as they welcome Adelphi University Panthers to town. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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