Posted: May 12, 2023
Uniondale, N.Y. – Coming off a remarkable slugfest on Day 1 of the East Coast Conference Baseball Championship, the Queens College baseball team (31-17 overall) advanced into the winner's bracket to start their Day 2 of the Championship Friday afternoon at Mitchel Field.
The Knights matched up against the No. 1 seed and Regular Season Champions Molloy University Lions with the winner set to advance straight into Saturday's Championship Game, while the loser of the game would move into the loser's bracket to earn one more chance to advance into the Championship game.
Day 2 of the championship game started with No. 4 seed Mercy College Mavericks defeating No. 2 seed Saint Thomas Aquinas College Spartans in one of the highest-scoring games in ECC Postseason history to the final score of 21-17.
In Game 2 of Friday's afternoon, the Lions used eight early runs to defeat the Knights to the final score of 10-3 to advance while setting up a Win or Go Home game for Queens in Friday's final game against the Mavericks.
Matching up against the Mavericks to decide the final finalist of the championship game, the Knights would need to complete two separate rallies as they trailed 6-2 after the top of the fourth inning and 13-6 after the completion of the sixth inning of play.
But as head coach Chris Reardon and the Knights squad have done all season when facing huge deficits, the Knights would complete a remarkable rally as they tied the game with a seven-run inning in the bottom of the eight before a wild pitch saw sophomore Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (3-5 AB, RBI, 4R, BB) score to set the Knights off into celebration as Queens defeated Mercy to the final score of 14-13 to advance into their second straight Championship game.
In a back-and-forth game, the Knights offense tallied 14 hits led by Cisco's three-hit performance, and freshman Joey Patane's (Commack, N.Y.) (3-4 AB, 2B, 2R) first career three-hit performance as the two underclassmen combined for six hits and six runs scored.
While eight different Knights in Reed Hoskins (Freeport, N.Y.) (1-4, 3RBI, R, BB), senior Jayson Rodopoulos(Scarsdale, N.Y.) (1-5, 2RBI, 2R, BB), freshman Andrew Ramirez (Walnut, Calif.) (1-3, RBI, R, BB), senior Anthony Fontana (Wantagh, N.Y.) (1-4, 2BB), sophomore Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (1-3, R), senior Teovaldo Estevez (Bronx, N.Y.) (1-1, R), senior Colin Diez (Levittown, N.Y.) (1-2, 2B, RBI, R) and sophomore Juan De La Rosa (Bronx, N.Y.) (1-1, 2B, 2RBI) combined for eight hits, nine RBI, and seven runs scored.
On the mound, junior Jordan Sanabria (Woodside, N.Y.) (4.0 IP, 6H, 6ER, 2BB, 2K), junior Danny Gargano (Middle Island, N.Y.) (1.2 IP, 6H, 7ER, 3BB, 2K), senior Dante Interlandi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (0.1 IP, H) and senior Dean Fazah (Queens, N.Y.) (W 6-2, K) combine to limit the damage before Interlandi and Fazah combined to keep the Mavericks offense at bay with the Queens native throwing three hitless shutout innings to help the Knights complete the rally as Fazah earned his sixth win of the year.
With their victory over the Mavericks, head coach Chris Reardon and the Knights continue to set new records as they recorded their first 31st win season in program history.
Facing elimination, the Knights took an early 2-0 lead after the completion of three innings before the Mavericks broke out the bats in the top of the fourth inning for five hits to take a 6-2 lead.
But Queens would not be outdone as they rallied in the home half of the fourth with a four-run inning to tie the game 6-6.
Filip and Patane opened the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back singles before junior Nick Barreiros (Seaford, N.Y.) reached first base on a throwing error to load the bases.
Rodopoulos began the scoring with a two RBI single to center field as the Knights cut the deficit down to 6-4 before Cisco added the second straight single to reload the bases for the ECC Rookie of the Year Jorsixt Jimenez (Queens, N.Y.) to continue the rally.
Coming off tying the single-season RBI record just 24 hours ago, Jimenez would set a new single-season RBI record as he earned a five-pitch walk to earn his 51st RBI of the year as the Knights were now one run away from tying the game, 6-5.
As the Mavericks got the first out of the inning, Rodopoulos would score on a wild pitch as Queens tied the 6-6 before the Mavericks prevented any further runs.
As both sides worked a clean fifth inning, the Mavericks continued their hot hitting using six hits to take a lead of 13-6 after the completion of the top of the sixth inning.
The Mavericks would keep the Knights off the scoreboard for two straight innings while Fazah saw his name called in the top of the seventh to finish out the game.
After Fazah worked two straight hitless innings, the Knights were now on the brink of seeing their season coming to a close as they were down to their final six outs.
As they have done all season when facing deficits, the Knights would dig deep as they looked for another rally to keep his historic season going.
Patane would record his first career three-hit performance in a pressure situation as the rookie laced a double down the left field line before Estevez was summoned in a pinch-hit situation.
The senior would deliver with a single to left field as Queens now had runners on the corners with the top of the Knights lineup coming up.
Rodopoulos would earn a five-pitch walk to load the bases before Cisco reached first base on a throwing error allowing the first two runs of the inning to score.
As the Mavericks got back-to-back outs, Cisco would steal second base in between the two outs before Ramirez got hit by a pitch to reload the bases for Hoskins.
The Freeport native staring at a 1-1 count would deliver with a two RBI single up the middle as the Knights cut their deficit down to 13-10 before Diez who entered the game as a sub delivered with a RBI double to left center field as Queens were now two runs away from tying the game 13-11.
Looking to keep the rally going, Reardon and the staff turned into Rosa for a big blast. The sophomore would battle for four pitches as he was looking at a 2-2 count, but on the fifth pitch of his at-bat the Bronx native would knot the game 13-13 with a two RBI double to right center field as Queens erased a seven-run deficit.
But the Mavericks would prevent the winning run as they got the final out to end the eighth inning.
Using their eighth-inning momentum, Fazah retired the Mavericks in order to give the Knights a chance to walk it off and advance to the championship game.
With the heart of the order coming up, Cisco battled for eight pitches including fouling off four pitches before he earned a walk.
A passed ball would allow Cisco to advance to second before Jimenez advance Cisco to third base as the Mavericks got Jimenez out in deep left field.
The Mavericks would intentionally walk Fontana and Ramirez as they looked for Hoskins to ground out into a double play to force extra innings.
But as Hoskins kept his at-bat alive, a wild pitch would allow Cisco to take advantage and score the winning run as Queens completed a tremendous rally to win 14-13 as they advanced into their second straight ECC Championship game.
UP NEXT: Head coach Chris Reardon and the Knights will now look to keep their season going as they look to force a Game Seven to battle for their second Championship Crown in program history as they match up against the Lions Saturday (May. 13) afternoon at Mitchel Field.
The Knights need to defeat Molloy in Game One to force the Winner Takes All game. Game one is set for 12:00 p.m. and if necessary, game two will follow 30 minutes from the conclusion of game one.
The Knights matched up against the No. 1 seed and Regular Season Champions Molloy University Lions with the winner set to advance straight into Saturday's Championship Game, while the loser of the game would move into the loser's bracket to earn one more chance to advance into the Championship game.
Day 2 of the championship game started with No. 4 seed Mercy College Mavericks defeating No. 2 seed Saint Thomas Aquinas College Spartans in one of the highest-scoring games in ECC Postseason history to the final score of 21-17.
In Game 2 of Friday's afternoon, the Lions used eight early runs to defeat the Knights to the final score of 10-3 to advance while setting up a Win or Go Home game for Queens in Friday's final game against the Mavericks.
Matching up against the Mavericks to decide the final finalist of the championship game, the Knights would need to complete two separate rallies as they trailed 6-2 after the top of the fourth inning and 13-6 after the completion of the sixth inning of play.
But as head coach Chris Reardon and the Knights squad have done all season when facing huge deficits, the Knights would complete a remarkable rally as they tied the game with a seven-run inning in the bottom of the eight before a wild pitch saw sophomore Marc Cisco (Long Island City, N.Y.) (3-5 AB, RBI, 4R, BB) score to set the Knights off into celebration as Queens defeated Mercy to the final score of 14-13 to advance into their second straight Championship game.
In a back-and-forth game, the Knights offense tallied 14 hits led by Cisco's three-hit performance, and freshman Joey Patane's (Commack, N.Y.) (3-4 AB, 2B, 2R) first career three-hit performance as the two underclassmen combined for six hits and six runs scored.
While eight different Knights in Reed Hoskins (Freeport, N.Y.) (1-4, 3RBI, R, BB), senior Jayson Rodopoulos(Scarsdale, N.Y.) (1-5, 2RBI, 2R, BB), freshman Andrew Ramirez (Walnut, Calif.) (1-3, RBI, R, BB), senior Anthony Fontana (Wantagh, N.Y.) (1-4, 2BB), sophomore Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (1-3, R), senior Teovaldo Estevez (Bronx, N.Y.) (1-1, R), senior Colin Diez (Levittown, N.Y.) (1-2, 2B, RBI, R) and sophomore Juan De La Rosa (Bronx, N.Y.) (1-1, 2B, 2RBI) combined for eight hits, nine RBI, and seven runs scored.
On the mound, junior Jordan Sanabria (Woodside, N.Y.) (4.0 IP, 6H, 6ER, 2BB, 2K), junior Danny Gargano (Middle Island, N.Y.) (1.2 IP, 6H, 7ER, 3BB, 2K), senior Dante Interlandi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (0.1 IP, H) and senior Dean Fazah (Queens, N.Y.) (W 6-2, K) combine to limit the damage before Interlandi and Fazah combined to keep the Mavericks offense at bay with the Queens native throwing three hitless shutout innings to help the Knights complete the rally as Fazah earned his sixth win of the year.
With their victory over the Mavericks, head coach Chris Reardon and the Knights continue to set new records as they recorded their first 31st win season in program history.
Facing elimination, the Knights took an early 2-0 lead after the completion of three innings before the Mavericks broke out the bats in the top of the fourth inning for five hits to take a 6-2 lead.
But Queens would not be outdone as they rallied in the home half of the fourth with a four-run inning to tie the game 6-6.
Filip and Patane opened the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back singles before junior Nick Barreiros (Seaford, N.Y.) reached first base on a throwing error to load the bases.
Rodopoulos began the scoring with a two RBI single to center field as the Knights cut the deficit down to 6-4 before Cisco added the second straight single to reload the bases for the ECC Rookie of the Year Jorsixt Jimenez (Queens, N.Y.) to continue the rally.
Coming off tying the single-season RBI record just 24 hours ago, Jimenez would set a new single-season RBI record as he earned a five-pitch walk to earn his 51st RBI of the year as the Knights were now one run away from tying the game, 6-5.
As the Mavericks got the first out of the inning, Rodopoulos would score on a wild pitch as Queens tied the 6-6 before the Mavericks prevented any further runs.
As both sides worked a clean fifth inning, the Mavericks continued their hot hitting using six hits to take a lead of 13-6 after the completion of the top of the sixth inning.
The Mavericks would keep the Knights off the scoreboard for two straight innings while Fazah saw his name called in the top of the seventh to finish out the game.
After Fazah worked two straight hitless innings, the Knights were now on the brink of seeing their season coming to a close as they were down to their final six outs.
As they have done all season when facing deficits, the Knights would dig deep as they looked for another rally to keep his historic season going.
Patane would record his first career three-hit performance in a pressure situation as the rookie laced a double down the left field line before Estevez was summoned in a pinch-hit situation.
The senior would deliver with a single to left field as Queens now had runners on the corners with the top of the Knights lineup coming up.
Rodopoulos would earn a five-pitch walk to load the bases before Cisco reached first base on a throwing error allowing the first two runs of the inning to score.
As the Mavericks got back-to-back outs, Cisco would steal second base in between the two outs before Ramirez got hit by a pitch to reload the bases for Hoskins.
The Freeport native staring at a 1-1 count would deliver with a two RBI single up the middle as the Knights cut their deficit down to 13-10 before Diez who entered the game as a sub delivered with a RBI double to left center field as Queens were now two runs away from tying the game 13-11.
Looking to keep the rally going, Reardon and the staff turned into Rosa for a big blast. The sophomore would battle for four pitches as he was looking at a 2-2 count, but on the fifth pitch of his at-bat the Bronx native would knot the game 13-13 with a two RBI double to right center field as Queens erased a seven-run deficit.
But the Mavericks would prevent the winning run as they got the final out to end the eighth inning.
Using their eighth-inning momentum, Fazah retired the Mavericks in order to give the Knights a chance to walk it off and advance to the championship game.
With the heart of the order coming up, Cisco battled for eight pitches including fouling off four pitches before he earned a walk.
A passed ball would allow Cisco to advance to second before Jimenez advance Cisco to third base as the Mavericks got Jimenez out in deep left field.
The Mavericks would intentionally walk Fontana and Ramirez as they looked for Hoskins to ground out into a double play to force extra innings.
But as Hoskins kept his at-bat alive, a wild pitch would allow Cisco to take advantage and score the winning run as Queens completed a tremendous rally to win 14-13 as they advanced into their second straight ECC Championship game.
UP NEXT: Head coach Chris Reardon and the Knights will now look to keep their season going as they look to force a Game Seven to battle for their second Championship Crown in program history as they match up against the Lions Saturday (May. 13) afternoon at Mitchel Field.
The Knights need to defeat Molloy in Game One to force the Winner Takes All game. Game one is set for 12:00 p.m. and if necessary, game two will follow 30 minutes from the conclusion of game one.
Provided by the Queens Sports Information Department.
