DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Continuing their East Coast Conference series against Mercy University Mavericks, the Queens College baseball team made the trip to Dobbs Ferry for Game two of the series Saturday afternoon at Mercy Field.
As rain forced a Saturday doubleheader into a single game, the Knights offense tallied a season-best 19 hits. Queens was led by sophomore utility
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (4-5 AB, 2B, 2RBI, 2R, BB) senior center fielder
Nick O'Conner (Wantagh, N.Y.) (4-7 AB, 2B, 3RBI) combining for eight hits, five RBI and two runs scored.
While the trio of rookie third baseman/shortstop
Tommy Pasqua (Williston Park, N.Y.) (3-6 AB, RBI, 2R), senior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, RBI, R) and graduate student
Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) (2-5 AB, 2 2B, RBI, R, BB) combined for seven hits, three RBI and four runs scored.
Lastly four Knights in senior second baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, Calif.) (1-5 AB, RBI), senior catcher
Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, Ariz.) (1-4 AB, R), junior shortstop
Nick Piazza (Queens, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, 2R, BB) and rookie third baseman
Peter Bounougias (Plainview, N.Y.) (1-1 AB, RBI, R) combined for four hits, two RBI and four runs scored.
On the mound, the trio of senior righty
Caleb Cassie (Vancouver, British Columbia) (4.1 IP, 8H, 6ER, BB, 6K), junior righty
Christopher Naronis (Floral Park, N.Y.) (4.0 IP, 2H, 2R, 3BB, 2K) and Vilardi
(W, 2-1, 3.2 IP, 3H, K) combined to hold the Mavericks to 13 hits, eight runs
(six earned), four walks, while striking out nine batters as the Knights offense rallied to keep the game alive, Vilardi of the bullpen would pitch the final four innings to hold the Mavericks to three hits as Queens earned a thrilling 10-8 victory in 12 innings to even the series at 1-1.
With the victory, Queens earns their 15
th victory of the year and their sixth in ECC play.
GAME TWO RECAP (QUEENS 10, MERCY 8)
After two scoreless frames, the Knights would open the scoring in the top of the third inning.
As Napolitano Jr. opened the frame with a single, the Mavericks would get the first out on a fielder's choice. With a runner at first, a RBI double from Vilardi down the left field line would allow Piazza to score from first base as Queens took a 1-0 lead before O'Conner doubled the Knights lead with a RBI single to left field to score Vilardi.
Cassie in the home half of the third would work behind his defense to his side in front. The Mavericks opened the frame with a single to left field before Cassie got the first out with a fly out to O'Conner in center field. A double to left center would see the Mavericks get on board but the senior righty would avoid further damage as he was able to induce a double play from left field to keep a 2-1 lead intact.
Queens would waste little time in answering back as Sealey opened the top of the fourth with a double to center field before a sac bunt advanced the senior to third base. The Knights took a 3-1 lead behind a RBI single from Pasqua before back-to-back hit by pitches loaded the bases.
With one out, and bases loaded, a sac fly from Vilardi scored Pasqua before O'Conner laced a ground-rule RBI double to put the Knights up 5-1 after the top of the fourth.
Cassie opened the bottom of the fourth with a strikeout before a fielding error and a single put two Mavericks on as the home side threatened to cut into the scoring. But Cassie would work out of trouble with back-to-back strikeouts to keep the 5-1 lead intact.
The Mavericks used three long balls in the home half of the fifth to take a 6-5 lead before the Knights turned to Naronis out of the bullpen and get the final two outs of the inning.
As both defenses worked out trouble in the sixth inning, the Knights would tie the game in the top of the seventh. As Filip and Jacobsen opened the frame with back-to-back singles, a RBI double down the left field line from Sealey would score Filip as Queens tied the game at 6-6.
But the Mavericks would leave two Knights stranded on base to end the top of the seventh before they used a fielding error to their advantage to take a 7-6 lead. But Naronis keep the damage at one run to end the seventh inning.
Down to their final six outs, the Knights rallied once again as three straight singles from Piazza, Vilardi, and O'Conner loaded the bases. The Knights would take advantage of a fielding error to tie the game at 7-7 before a RBI sac fly from Jacobsen put the Knights up 8-7.
However, the Mavericks used a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 8-8 before Naronis and his defense was able to turn their second double play for the outfield and keep the game tied at 8-8 to end the eighth.
Both defenses worked out of the base runner in the ninth inning to force extra innings.
For the first time since the 2019 season, the winner would be decided in extra innings. The Knights fell 2-3 in ten innings back on March 24, 2019, in Dobbs Ferry.
In the top of the tenth, the Mavericks worked out of a Vilardi single before Vilardi who entered the game in the bottom of the ninth retired the Mavericks in order to force the 11
th.
In the 11
th the Mavericks would retire the Knights in order as they looked for a walk-off victory. A single to left field opened the frame before Vilardi won a seven-pitch at-bat battle to get the first out with a punchout before he induced a 4-6-3 double play, the Knights' third of the day to keep the game going.
Pasqua opened the 12
th inning of the day recording his third three-hit performance with a single to center field before a sac bunt advanced the rookie into scoring position.
Queens would turn to rookie Bounougias in a pinch hit situation and the rookie would deliver as he battled to run a full count before he laced a RBI single to center field to score Pasqua as the Knights took a 9-8 lead.
Next batter Vilardi would record his second four-hit game of the season with a single through the left side to advance Bounougias to second base. With only one out and two runners on, O'Conner would complete his first four-hit game of the season with a key insurance run as he drove home Bounougias with a RBI single to center field as Queens took a 10-8 lead.
Leading 10-8, Vilardi returned to close out the game. The Mavericks opened the home frame with a sharp single. With the Knights looking for a key ECC victory, Vilardi would induce a pop up but it would take a tremendous catch from Jacobsen near the first base dugout to get Queens the first out of the inning. The sophomore would earn his second victory of the year as he induced a game ending 6-4-3 double play, the Knights' fourth double play of the day to earn a thrilling 10-8 game two victory and even the series at 1-1 heading into Sunday.
NEXT PITCH
The Knights will conclude the ECC series with a Sunday, Apr. 27 afternoon doubleheader in Flushing against the Mavericks. The first pitch is set for noon.
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