By Anthony Bosco
The Queens College men’s baseball team dropped two of three to Mercy College in a three-game series this weekend, splitting a doubleheader Saturday and losing the finale Sunday as the Knights fell to 4-16 overall and 4-10 in New York Collegiate Athletic Conference play.
The struggling team, coached by first-year man Frank Battaglia, needed a 15-run offensive explosion in the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader to salvage a split, taking the nightcap, 15-6.
In the team’s lone win of the set, catcher Austin Shafran was 3-for-4 with six RBIs, including his first home run of the year. First baseman Mike Eddy was 2-for-5 with two runs scored; centerfielder Stewart Goodwin was 2-for-5 with two RBIs; and leftfielder Mike Medea was 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
Seven of the Knights’ 15 runs came across in the third inning and six more followed in the sixth as the team wracked up 13 hits against Mercy pitching.
Starting pitcher Mike Morris struggled on the mound for Queens, going 4.1 innings and allowing four hits, four walks and six earned runs before being yanked for Mike Paclucci, who pitched a scoreless 2.2 innings to close out the game.
Mercy took the first game Saturday, 9-3, as Queens starter Jason Otto was touched for seven runs — five earned — through five innings. Shafran was 3-for-3 with an RBI, while Goodwin and Vic Pantopoulos each drove in a run.
In Sunday’s game, Queens starter Keith Haack was solid through five, allowing two runs, only one of which was earned, and striking out five, but was victimized by poor relief work en route to an 11-10 Knights’ loss in 12 innings.
Queens was up 10-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth when Lou Walsh gave up four runs, as Mercy pulled with two, 10-8. Jason Lesse then gave up two more in the eighth, allowing Mercy to tie the game.
Carl Waldheim was solid through 3.2 innings, but gave up the game-winner in the bottom of the 12th.
St. Thomas 12, Queens College 3. Lou Walsh picked up the loss last week, surrendering 11 runs in 4.1 innings of work. Pantopoulos was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
William Paterson 10, Queens College 3. Eddy had two hits and two RBIs, but the Knights were victimized by poor defense as the team’s three pitchers, Haack, Paclucci and Tom Keane gave up just three earned runs combined.
Reach Sports Editor Anthony Bosco by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 130.
