FLUSHING, N.Y. – Returning to East Coast Conference play Friday afternoon, the Queens College baseball team split the day against regionally ranked No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas College, falling in the completion of a suspended game before rallying for a thrilling 5-4 victory to open the four-game series at Hennekens Stadium.
Queens first wrapped up its March 22 suspended contest, resuming play in the top of the fourth inning trailing 3-1. The Spartans added insurance runs in the fourth and fifth innings to secure a 7-1 win.
Queens would regroup quickly as they looked to start the four-game series fresh.
The Knights responded behind a strong all-around performance, collecting 13 hits at the plate with rookie center fielder
John Harkins (Babylon, N.Y.) leading the charge with his second four-hit game of the season, while sophomore second baseman
Tommy Pasqua (Williston Park, N.Y.) added three hits and two RBI. Junior catcher
Niko Sorice (Rocky Point, N.Y.) also recorded a multi-hit effort, with contributions from senior third baseman
Nick Piazza (Queens, N.Y.), junior first baseman
Jordan Babbo (Merrick, N.Y.), junior left fielder
Christian Aguilar (New York, N.Y.) and rookie shortstop
Joshua Angely (Upland, CA) rounding out the offensive attack.
On the mound, junior right-hander
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) delivered an efficient outing, allowing just two hits over the first four innings while retiring nine straight batters to keep the Spartans off balance.
Queens broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Sorice laced a shot to left before a fielding error allowed the junior to advance to second base. Queens would load the bases as rookie
Dylan Vikara (Westbury, N.Y.) earned a walk and Aguilar singled to center field.
A wild pitch brought home the game's first run before Pasqua delivered a two-RBI single to give Queens a 3-0 lead.
Vilardi opened the fifth by retiring his 10th straight batter, earning his fourth strikeout of the afternoon. The Spartans responded with two singles to cut into the deficit, but Vilardi limited the damage to one run by inducing a foul pop-up to Sorice to end the inning.
Queens answered immediately in the bottom half of the frame. Harkins led off with a single to right field and advanced on a sacrifice bunt before Sorice delivered an RBI double down the left-field line, extending the lead to 4-1.
St. Thomas Aquinas cut the deficit to 4-3 in the sixth with a two-out double down the left-field line.
After Queens was unable to capitalize on a bases-loaded opportunity in the bottom half, Vilardi responded with a clean seventh inning, retiring the side in order to preserve the lead.
The Knights added an insurance run in the eighth as Angely dropped in a bloop RBI single to push the advantage to 5-3.
Vilardi then worked another scoreless frame, retiring the Spartans in order and recording his fifth strikeout of the day, the sixth time this season he has reached five or more strikeouts.
With Vilardi in line for his third win of the season, Queens turned to junior right-hander
Peter Nenadich III (Bayside, N.Y.) to close it out, who secured his second save of the year.
But the Spartans refused to go quietly, loading the bases on a single, an error, and a bunt hit. Nenadich responded by inducing a 6-4-3 double play to escape the jam, though St. Thomas Aquinas still managed to cut the deficit to 5-4. Down to their final out, the Spartans attempted to score the tying run on a wild pitch, but were denied when a quick throw from Sorice to Nenadich III cut down the runner, sealing a thrilling 5-4 victory for the Knights and their third ECC win of the season.
Next Pitch
Queens travels to Pomona on Saturday, April 11 for an ECC doubleheader at Clover Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
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