What was a promising season…
By Dylan Butler
If the Queens College softball team is trying to find out why it was eliminated from the NYCAC tournament, the Knights need to just look at the final pitching line from their three games for the answer: 16 runs, none earned.
What was a promising season for the Knights ended Saturday afternoon at C.W. Post. After beating Bridgeport in extra innings in the morning, Queens fell to Adelphi, 8-3, in the afternoon, thanks mostly to a season-high six errors.
The comedy of errors for Queens actually started Friday afternoon in a 6-2 loss to Dowling in the first round of the tournament. Jessica Blake’s two-run error in Dowling’s three-run first inning set the tone for the rest of the tournament.
The senior centerfielder had a chance to end the first inning without a run crossing the plate, but Jackie Legnon’s well-hit ball bounced off her glove, allowing Jennifer Freyer and sister Crystal Freyer to score.
“I misjudged it initially. I took a step in and I thought it was dropping in,” Blake said. “It just had some pop on it and I didn’t get a good jump on it.”
Queens (24-20) rallied to get within 3-2 and had runners at second and third with one out in the sixth inning, but pinch hitters Rita Limitone grounded back to Dowling pitcher Jackie Rogers and Stephanie Santoro struck out.
An error by shortstop Crystal Wilson opened the door for Dowling (23-26) to tack on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a double by Kristin Rivers and a single by Crystal Freyer.
“We have the pitching that can keep us in games and give us an opportunity to win, but we don’t even support them on the field. We didn’t come to play today,” Queens College softball coach Brian DeMasters said. “It was clear. I don’t know where their heads were at and there’s no reason (for their heads not) to be here because this is it. This is the end of the season.”
Rogers went the distance for Dowling, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits, striking out nine and walking two. For the Knights, Jessica Paparella was the hard-luck loser, allowing six runs, none earned, on seven hits. She struck out one and walked four.
Facing elimination Saturday morning, Queens rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the first inning to beat Bridgeport, 3-2, in eight innings on Wilson’s RBI-single to left, scoring Maria Scalisi.
But four hours later the Knights’ season came to a disappointing end with an 8-3 loss to Adelphi that saw Queens’ error total increase to 10 in three games.
“It’s been a problem all year. We’re just not consistent,” DeMasters said. “We play real well one game and we play terrible the next game.”
Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
