By Anthony Bosco
The Queens College softball team’s season came to an unceremonious end last weekend in North Andover, Mass. when it lost both of its game in the NCAA Division II Northeast Regional Tournament and failed to advance to the national championship tournament for the second time in three seasons.
The Lady Knights were ousted at the Northeast Regionals two seasons ago after winning the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament. Queens accomplished that same feat this season, but again was unable to capitalize on the team’s good fortune.
In their first game of the double-elimination tournament, the No. 3-seeded Lady Knights faced off against No. 2 Dowling, losing 1-0. Starter Lauren Wells gave up the game’s only run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Catherine Ferrara drew a lead-off walk and scored on three consecutive singles.
Emily Lucas came on for Wells and pitched three innings of no-hit relief, but Queens could never get it going offensively. Dowling starter Sherran Wilson gave up just four hits — none over the final three innings — and struck out five to earn the complete-game win.
Later on Friday, the Lady Knights squared off against American International College in a must-win game. Lucas got the start, but was victimized by four unearned runs en route to a 7-4 loss.
AIC broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the fifth, scoring four runs on three hits, including a two-run single by Meghan Hughes. Hughes finished the game with three of her team’s 11 hits.
Queens briefly rallied in the sixth when Lucas blasted a two-run homer to pull the Lady Knights within two, 6-4. But Yellow Jackets starter Amber Radowski shut down Queens in the seventh to earn the win.
In the loss, Danielle Battaglia was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Cheryl Cosenzo was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
The Lady Knights finished the season with a 30-19 record.
Dowling went on to win the Northeast Regional Tournament and advanced to play in the NCAA Division II Softball National Championship in Salem, Va.
Reach Sports Editor Anthony Bosco by e-mail at TimesLedgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 130.
