NEW HAVEN, CONN. – Following a home doubleheader postponement due to field conditions, the Queens College softball team traveled to New Haven, Conn. to face the Southern Connecticut State University Owls at Pelz Field in a non-conference doubleheader Wednesday afternoon.
Across both games, junior
Olivia Wanser (Westbury, N.Y.) led the offense, going 5-for-6 at the plate with one walk and one RBI, including a season-best 4-for-4 performance in game two. Junior infielder
Kadie Cain (Hauppauge, N.Y.) finished 2-for-7 with a double and an RBI, while sophomore right fielder
Brigid Hood (Wantagh, N.Y.) added a double and two RBIs on the day.
GAME ONE – Queens 2, SCSU 3
Queens fell behind early, trailing 3-0 after three innings of play while leaving three runners stranded through the first four frames. The Knights broke through in the top of the fifth, starting with back-to-back singles from
Mia Pineiro (North Babylon, N.Y.) and junior
Caylea Campbell (Murrieta, CA.).
With two on, Hood delivered a two-RBI double to left field to score Pineiro and Campbell and cut the deficit to one. A single from junior center fielder
Sienna Denino (North Babylon, N.Y.) kept the rally alive, but the Owls recorded the final two outs to escape the inning.
In the circle, rookie right-hander
Nellie Donahue (Levittown, N.Y.) kept Queens within striking distance, tossing three scoreless innings while working out of multiple jams. Donahue recorded a career-best eight strikeouts, but Southern Connecticut State held the Knights off the board over the final two innings to secure a 3-2 win.
GAME ONE – Queens 2, SCSU 6
The Owls struck first in the nightcap, taking a 1-0 lead in the opening inning. Queens threatened in the second as Wanser singled to center and rookie
Carla Chiaramonte (Middle Village, N.Y.) reached on a fielder's choice, before rookie infielder
Kayla Denino (North Babylon, N.Y.) loaded the bases with a single. However, the Owls escaped the jam to keep the Knights off the board.
Southern Connecticut added another run in the second before Queens responded in the third.
Sienna Denino doubled to left with one out and later scored on an RBI single from Wanser to make it 2-1.
The Owls answered with a four-run third inning, using five hits and a Queens error to extend their lead to 6-1.
The Knights got one back in the fifth on an RBI double from Cain, but Southern Connecticut stranded two runners to prevent further damage.
The Owls kept Queens scoreless over the final two innings to complete the sweep with a 6-2 victory.
Next Pitch
Queens opens East Coast Conference play Friday, March 27, when the Knights host the College of Staten Island at the QC Softball Field. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
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