YAPHANK, N.Y. – Continuing non-conference play after a week off the Queens College baseball team made the trip out to Yaphank for a non-conference game against the Cougars of Caldwell University at Lasorda Legacy Park.
The offense erupted for 15 hits with five Knights knocking in multi-hit performances led by
graduate student right fielder
Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) (3-5 AB, 3B, 2RBI, 2R), sophomore left fielder
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (3-5 AB, 2B, RBI, R) combining for six hits, three RBI and three runs scored.
The trio of rookie shortstop
Tommy Pasqua (Williston Park, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, 2B, 4RBI, R, BB),
senior second baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, Calif.) (2-3 AB, 2HR, 3RBI, 2R, BB), and senior center fielder
Nick O'Conner (Wantagh, N.Y.) (2-3 AB, 3BB, 2R) combined for six hits, seven RBI, and five runs scored.
Lastly the trio of rookie third baseman
Peter Bounougias (Plainview, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, HR, RBI, 2R, BB), senior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (1-6 AB), and sophomore designated hitter
Jordan Babbo (Merrick, N.Y.) (1-3 AB, R, 2BB) combined for three hits, one RBI and three runs scored.
On the mound, it would be a bullpen day for the pitching staff as six Knights made an appearance on the mound with senior lefty
Robert Nunez (Manhattan, N.Y.), rookie righty
Andrew Yanez (Mount Sinai, N.Y.), senior righty
John Keane (Wading River, N.Y.) junior righty
Christopher Naronis (Floral Park, N.Y.), red-shirt sophomore
Reynaldo Angeles (Corona, N.Y.) and rookie
Severino Napolitano Jr. (Brooklyn, N.Y.) holding the Cougars to six hits, four runs to go with nine strikeouts as Queens earned a 11-4 victory.
With the victory, Queens earns their ninth victory of the year and earns a series split against Caldwell.
GAME RECAP
With Nunez
(2.0 IP, H, 2K) earning the midweek start, the lefty would work a clean inning of play before the Knights offense to work.
As O'Conner earned a four-pitch walk to begin the home frame, he would steal second base before the Cougars got the first out. Filip would advance O'Conner to third base with a single through the left side before a RBI single to left field from Sealey scored O'Conner and put the Knights up 1-0.
But the Cougars would avoid trouble as they left the bases loaded to get out of the inning.
Nunez would work out of a lead-off single in the top of the second to retire the next three batters and keep the 1-0 lead intact.
As the Knights left two runners stranded in the home frame of the second, rookie Yanez
(1.0 IP, H, BB) would work out of a single and a walk to end the top of the third.
In the bottom of the third, Sealey began the frame with a triple to center field before Jacobsen staring a 3-1 count laced his third home run of the year with a two-RBI blast over center field as Queens took a 3-0 lead.
As the Cougars retired the next two batters, rookie Bounougias who was still in search of his first career hit would open his hit's tally with a solo shot to left field as the Knights took a 4-0 lead.
With Yanez's day complete, he would turn the mound over to Keane
(1.0 IP, H, 3R, 0ER, 2BB, K) in the top of the fourth. The Cougars would take advantage of a fielding error and two walks to cut the Knights lead down to one, 4-3. With two runners on and two outs, Keane would work out of trouble as he got the Knights' third punchout of the day to keep the one-run lead intact.
The Knights would respond right as Pasqua earned a walk before advancing to second on a balk. Filip would advance Pasqua to third as the Cougars got the first out before a RBI grounder from Sealey gave the Knights a two-lead cushion to the score of 5-3 after four complete innings of play.
It would be a shaky start for Naronis
(W, 1-6, 2.0 IP, 2H, 1ER, BB, 3K) in the top of the fifth as a single, hit by pitch and a walk loaded the bases. But the Floral Park native would induce a 6-4-3 double play for two quick outs before he got a strikeout to end the inning but the Cougars would get within a run of tying the game, 5-4 after the top of the fifth.
In the top of the sixth, a fielding error would allow the Cougars to get a runner on second base before Naronis got the first out on his second strikeout of the day. The righty would get the second out as he was able to pick off the runner at second before a double to left field extended the inning. But Naronis would leave the Cougars' tying run stranded at second with his third strikeout of the day and keep a 5-4 lead intact.
In the home frame of the sixth, Vilardi extended the Knights' advantage to 6-4 with a RBI double to score Sealey.
With Naronis day complete, Queens turned to Angeles
(2.0 IP, H, BB, 2K) to start the top of the seventh. Despite a lead-off double to center field and one-out walk, the Corona native would induce a 6-4-3 double play as the Knights' defense turned two for the second time on the day.
Leading by two runs, 6-4, to begin the bottom of the eight, with one out, Babbo would earn his second walk of the day before a bunt single from O'Conner put two runners on for Pasqua.
The rookie promoted to the top of the batting lineup would deliver for the Knights with a two-RBI double to center field as Queens extended their lead to 8-4 after seven complete innings of play.
Angeles would work a clean inning in the top of the eighth including recording two strikeouts to complete his afternoon.
In the bottom of the eighth Jacobsen opened the frame recording his 10
th multi-hit game and fourth multi-RBI game of the year as he blasted his second home run of the day over right field as he put the Knights up 9-4.
As Vilardi extended the inning with a bunt single, the Cougars would get the first out not before a walk to Bounougias mixed in with the second out of the inning brought up the top of the lineup. But as a walk to O'Conner loaded the bases for Pasqua, the Williston Park rookie would record his first career four-RBI performance of the year as Queens took a commanding lead of 11-4 after eight complete innings of play.
The rookie righty Napolitano Jr.
(1.0 IP, K) would close out the game with a clean inning in the top of the ninth as Queens earned an 11-4 victory and earned a series split against the Cougars.
NEXT PITCH
The Knights return to East Coast Conference play for their second series of the year beginning on Friday, Apr. 11 in Uniondale, N.Y. against defending Champions Molloy University Lions. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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