NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – Opening a pivotal four-game East Coast Conference series on the road, the Queens College baseball team split a Friday afternoon doubleheader against the D'Youville University Saints at Sal Maglie Stadium.
Powered by a 10-hit, eight-run effort in game one, Queens secured an 8-2 victory behind a dominant complete-game performance from junior right-hander
Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.). The Saints responded in the nightcap, edging the Knights 3-2 to earn the split.
With the game one win, Queens improved to eight conference victories on the season.
Game One Recap – Queens 8, D'Youville 2
D'Youville struck first, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the opening inning. However, Vilardi quickly settled in, tossing back-to-back scoreless frames to steady the Knights.
Queens broke through in the fourth inning when junior catcher
Thomas McElwee (West Islip, N.Y.) led off with a double. With two outs, senior
Nick Piazza (Queens, N.Y.) delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Vilardi continued to cruise, retiring eight straight batters before working out of trouble in the fourth to keep it a one-run game.
The Knights surged ahead in the sixth. After Piazza doubled and moved to third, sophomore
Tommy Pasqua (Williston Park, N.Y.) tied the game with an RBI single.
Following a sophomore
Peter Bounougias (Plainview, N.Y.) double and an intentional walk to senior
Vincent Mallon (Massapequa, N.Y.), senior
Connor Waiting (Seaford, N.Y.) came through with a two-run single to give Queens a 4-2 lead.
D'Youville threatened in the bottom half with a one-out triple, but a key defensive sequence featuring
Christian Aguilar (New York, N.Y.), Vilardi, and McElwee cut down the runner at the plate to preserve the lead.
Queens added insurance with a run in the seventh and three more in the eighth, highlighted by RBI contributions from junior
Paul Fiene (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y.), Aguilar, and Piazza to extend the lead to 8-2.
Vilardi closed the door in dominant fashion, retiring the side in order in the eighth before finishing the complete game in the ninth. He earned his fourth win of the season, allowing just two runs while delivering his second complete game of the year
Game Two Recap – Queens 2, D'Youville 3
In the nightcap, the Saints grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but Queens answered in the third. After Pasqua was hit by a pitch and Bounougias walked, Waiting tied the game with an RBI single.
Queens took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when rookie
Joshua Angely (Upland, CA) aunched a solo home run, his second of the season.
D'Youville responded quickly, tying the game in the bottom half of the inning before pushing across the go-ahead run in the sixth. The Knights were unable to rally late as the Saints held on for the 3-2 victory.
Next Pitch
Queens continues the conference series on Saturday, April 25, with first pitch scheduled for noon.
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