FLUSHING, N.Y. – Continuing their homestand at Hennekens Stadium, the Queens College baseball team welcomed Adelphi University Panthers to complete the three-game non-conference series Tuesday afternoon.
With the series tied at 1-1, the Knights offense totaled five hits led by graduate student left fielder
Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) (2-4 AB, RBI, R) multi-hit performances, while the trio of sophomore right fielder
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, R, BB), senior center fielder
Nick O'Conner (Wantagh, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, 2RBI, BB) and
Tommy Pasqua (Williston Park, N.Y.) (1-2 AB, R).
The senior trio of Sealey,
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.), and O'Conner combined to drive in four runs with Sealey scoring the fifth run on a wild pitch.
On the mound, four Knights in senior
Nick Kozerski (Hicksville, N.Y.) (1.0 IP, 2H, ER, 2K), junior
Robert Nunez (Manhattan, N.Y.) (W, 2-2, 4.0 IP, 3H, 4K), rookie
Severino Napolitano Jr. (Brooklyn, N.Y.) (2.0 IP, 4H, 2ER, 3K) and Vilardi
(S, 1, 2.0 IP, 2H, BB, 2K) combined to hold the Panthers to 11 hits, three earned runs, one walk while striking out 11 batters as Nunez earned his second win of the year before Vilardi closed out the game with 2 shutout innings to earn his first career save as Queens completed the series victory to the final score of 5-3.
With the victory, the Knights earned their 14
th victory of the year.
GAME RECAP (QUEENS 5, ADELPHI 3)
The Panthers opened the game by taking a 1-0 using a lead-off triple before an infield single scored the run. Kozerski would keep the damage at 1-0 as he ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
With Kozerski's outing complete after the top of the inning, Nunez would replace the senior righty to begin his day. The lefty would work out of two base runners to end the top of the second before working out of a lead-off single in the top of the third to keep the deficit at 1-0.
With one out in the bottom of the third, Pasqua recorded the Knights' first hit of the afternoon before Queens loaded the bases behind junior shortstop
Nick Piazza (Queens, N.Y.) reaching base on a hit by pitch before Vilardi earned a four-pitch walk.
The Knights would tie the game 1-1 as a RBI single through the right side from Sealey scored Pasqua before a RBI grounder from O'Conner scored Piazza as Queens took a 2-1 lead after three complete innings of play.
Nunez would keep the Panthers off the scoreboard over the next two innings of play as he worked a clean inning in the top of the fourth before working out of a one-out double in the top of the fifth by retiring the next two batters to keep the 2-1 lead intact.
Looking for more insurance runs, the Knights' offense answered in the home half of the fifth.
Rookie
Peter Bounougias (Plainview, N.Y.) earned a five-pitch walk before the Panthers were able to get the first out of the inning. Back-to-back singles from Vilardi and Sealey would load the bases as Queens looked to break the game open with only one out.
O'Conner would drive in his second run of the day with a RBI single to right field to score Bounougias as Queens took a 3-1 lead. Filip would battle for a six-pitch RBI walk to put Queens up 4-1 before Sealey scored the Knights' fifth run of the game on a wild pitch as the Knights took a 5-1 lead after five complete innings of play.
With Nunez's day complete after four shutout innings, rookie righty Napolitano Jr. would replace the lefty to begin the top of the sixth. The Brooklyn native retired the Panthers in order in the top of the sixth before he dug deep in the top of the seventh to keep the Knights in front to the score of 5-3.
The Panthers opened the top of the eighth with a double to right center before the Knights turned to Vilardi to close out the game. Adelphi would put runners on the corner with a single before they stole second base. But Queens' defense would get the first out of the inning as they caught the third base runner short at home plate on a caught stealing before Vilardi retired the next two batters in a row to end the inning with a strikeout before a fly out to left field in foul territory to keep the 5-3 lead intact.
For the third straight inning, the Panthers would get a runner on base as they opened the final frame of the game with a double to left field. Vilardi would retire the second batter to come to the plate with a fly out to O'Conner in center field before he induced a swinging strikeout in a seven-pitch at-bat for the second out of the inning. A walk would put the tying run at first base to extend the inning but Vilardi would induce a pop up to Piazza for the final out of the inning as Queens earned a 5-3 victory and clinched the series 2-1 series victory.
NEXT PITCH
The Knights continue the homestand as they open their fourth East Coast Conference series of the year on Friday, Apr. 25 as they welcome Mercy University Mavericks to Hennekens Stadium. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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