FLUSHING, N.Y. – Returning to Hennekens Stadium for the final time this year and in need of two victories over their final three games to clinch their sixth straight East Coast Conference postseason appearance, the Queens College baseball team welcomed the St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartans for a Friday afternoon conference doubleheader.
In game two of the series the Knights offense rallied twice to tie the game 3-3 after the sixth inning of play before senior first baseman
Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) led the way as the Knights scored five unanswered runs over the next two innings as Queens earned a key 8-3 game two victory and evened the series at 1-1.
In game three of the series, the Knights scored early runs to help senior righty
Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) who put together a stellar outing on the mound with five shutout innings before sophomore righty
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) closed out the game as the Knights earned a 5-0 shutout victory over the Spartans and clinched their sixth straight postseason appearance.
With the doubleheader sweep the Knights earned their 17
th and 18
th overall victory of the year and their eighth and ninth conference victories of the year.
GAME TWO RECAP (QUEENS 8, STAC 3)
The Knights offense outhit the Spartans 12-6 led by five players recording multi-hit games with Sealey
(3-5 AB, 2 2B, RBI, R) recording his fifth three-hit game of the year, senior center fielder
Nick O'Connor (Wantagh, N.Y.) (2-5 AB, 2B, 2RBI, 2R), Filip
(2-4 AB, 2B, RBI, R, BB), senior second baseman
Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, Calif.) (2-5 AB, 2B, RBI, R), rookie shortstop
Tommy Pasqua (Williston Park, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, RBI, R) and senior catcher
Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, Ariz.) (1-2 AB, RBI, BB) all combining for 12 hits and seven RBI.
On the mound senior righty
Caleb Cassie (Vancouver, British Columbia) (ND, 6.1 IP, 6H 3ER, 2BB, 6K) and sophomore righty
Peter Nenadich III (Bayside, N.Y.) (W, 3-2, 2.2 IP, 4K) combined to hold the Spartans to six hits, three earned runs while striking 10 batters as Nenadich III shutout the door over the final three innings to earn his third victory of the year.
The Spartans took a 2-0 lead after three complete innings of play. After Cassie retired the Spartans in order in the top of the fourth, the Knights' offense went to work as O'Connor opened the frame with a double to left field before Filip earned a walk as Queens put two runners. But as the Spartans got the first of the inning, the Knights would earn back-to-back walks as Vilardi battled for a six-pitch walk to load the bases before Napolitano Jr. earned a six-pitch RBI walk to bring home the first run of the inning for Queens.
The Spartans would get the second out of the inning before Filip scored on a wild pitch to the tie game at 2-2.
But the Spartans would reclaim the lead in the top of the fifth but Cassie would work out of trouble to leave one runner stranded on base and keep the deficit at one, 3-2.
In the top of the sixth, Cassie would strike out the side to keep the deficit at one, 3-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Jacobsen opened the home half of the sixth with a single through the right side before Vilardi and Napolitano Jr advanced Jacobsen to third base. With two outs and the tying run at third base, rookie
Peter Bounougias (Plainview, N.Y.) would get hit by pitch to keep the inning alive before Pasqua delivered with a RBI single through the right side to tie the game at 3-3 after six complete innings of play.
Cassie opened the top of the seventh by retiring the first batter as he induced a fly out to Vilardi before a double and walk would see the Knights turn to the bullpen and put the ball in the hand of Nenadich III.
The Bayside would keep the game tied at 3-3 as he got the final two out of the inning and leave two Spartans stranded on base.
Using the momentum from the top of the seventh, Sealey recorded his third hit of the game with a single through the left side before the Spartans were able to get the first out of the inning.
With their season on the line, senior Filip would deliver with a RBI blast to left field, a shot that just fell short of going over but the Maspeth native double would be enough for Sealey to score from first base as Queens took their first lead of the game to the score of 4-3.
In the top half of the eighth, Nenadich III would retire the Spartans in order as he notched two strikeouts and a grounder to third base.
Queens would give their sophomore hurler key insurance runs in the home half of the eighth. As the Knights loaded the bases, the Spartans would get the first out before Sealey brought home pinch runner
Christopher Naronis (Floral Park, N.Y.) with a RBI sac fly out to center field to put Queens up 5-3. O'Connor would lace a two-RBI single to right center to put the Knights up 7-5 before a Jacobsen RBI double to center field put the Knights in a commanding lead of 8-3 heading into the final inning of the game.
Nenadich III would ensure there would be no comeback on hand as the righty shut the door with two strikeouts and a grounder as Queens earned a key game two victory to the score of 8-3 and evened the series at 1-1.
GAME THREE RECAP (QUEENS 5, STAC 0)
Having evened the series at 1-1 and College of Staten Island defeating D'Youville in game one of their series, the Knights' magic number to clinch their sixth straight postseason spot was down to one.
The Knights would ensure they would not have to wait until Sunday to clinch the postseason spot. In game three of the series, the offense tallied early runs as they outhit the Spartans 8-3 led by senior outfielder
Leo Alvarez (Oceanside, N.Y.) (2-3 AB, 2B, RBI, R) recording his fifth multi-hit game of the year, Vilardi
(1-3 AB, R, BB), Sealey
(1-2 AB, RBI, 2R, BB), O'Connor
(1-2 AB, RBI), Jacobsen
(1-2 AB), rookie catcher
Jake Levesque (Pinellas Park, Fla.) (1-2 AB, R, BB), junior shortstop
Nick Piazza (Queens, N.Y.) (1-2 AB) and Pasqua all combining for eight hits, four RBI and five runs scored.
On the mound, the duo of Sealey
(W, 1-0, 5.0 IP, 2H, BB, 5K) and Vilardi
(2.0 IP, H, K) would combine to limit the Spartans to three hits, one walk, and strike out six batters as Sealey put together one of his best start to earn his first win as a Knights as Queens shutout the Spartans to earn a 5-0 victory and clinch the postseason spot.
The Spartans looked to take an early lead as they opened the game with a walk and single. But Sealey would ensure the game would be scoreless heading into the bottom of the first as he induced a fielder's choice out at second base for the first out before the righty turned a 1-6-3 double play to end the frame.
Vilardi and Sealey opened the home half of the first earning back-to-back walks before a sac bunt from O'Connor advanced both runners into scoring position. Vilardi would score on a wild pitch to put Queens up 1-0 before Filip earned a walk as the Knights now had runners on the corner.
Alvarez would put Queens up 2-0 with a RBI single to score Sealey from third base.
Leading 2-0, Sealey would retire the Spartans in order in the top of the second as he notched two strikeouts and induced a grounder to Piazza.
Looking to give Sealey more breathing room, the Knights doubled their advantage in the bottom of the second. Levesque opened the frame with a walk before Piazza advanced the rookie to second base on a sac bunt. But as the Spartans got the second out, Sealey would help his own cause with a RBI single to left field to put Queens up 3-0 before O'Connor recorded a RBI single through the right side to give the home side a 4-0 advantage.
Working behind a 4-0 lead, Sealey would go on to retire the Spartans in order in the top of the third before he extended his streak of retiring nine straight batters in the top of the fourth. But as the second Spartans hit of the game broke the streak, Sealey would leave the runner stranded on base as he got the final out of the frame with a fly out to Vilardi.
The righty would work his third 1-2-3 inning of the day in the top of the fifth to complete his afternoon on the mound including notching his fifth strikeout of the game.
With his day complete on the mound, the Knights turned to Vilardi to keep the shutout going and the sophomore would work a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth before the Knights added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.
Alvarez recorded a double to left center before the Knights used small ball for their fifth run of the day. As Jacobsen advanced Alvarez to third base on a successful sac bunt, Pasqua would deliver with a successful suicide squeeze to score Alvarez.
Three outs away from a playoff-clinching victory, the Spartans would delay the celebrations as they recorded their third hit of the afternoon. But Vilardi would keep the celebration on schedule and their second shutout over the Spartans in regular season play in the last three years as he induced a fielder's choice play for the first out.
It would be a fitting end to Filip's career at Hennekens Stadium as Vilardi induced back-to-back outs to the Maspeth native to end the game beginning with a grounder for the second out before Filip caught the final out of the game in foul territory to give the Knights a 5-0 victory and clinch the postseason spot.
NEXT PITCH
The Knights wrap up regular season play on Sunday, May 4 as they return to Pomona for the final game of the ECC series against the Spartans at Clover Stadium. The first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
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