After nearly eight hours of baseball Molloy walked off with two conference wins against Queens College. A 31 run hit parade and an extra inning showdown featuring a huge walk off comprised the dramatic doubleheader today.
Queens struck first in both games, scoring two in the first inning of game one on a fielder’s choice and another on a bases-loaded hit by pitch. They added two more in the second on a double by shortstop Joel Mendez and a sacrifice fly from Jon Temenak.
Molloy answered with two of their own on a Ryan Dillon single in the third, but nearly all of Molloy’s 18 runs came in the third. Six RBI singles, three RBI doubles and one ground out drove in a total of thirteen runs for the Molloy Lions in the third and just like that they were set up for the win.
However, Queens refused to quit eventually putting up thirteen runs of their own and refusing to let Molloy off the hook without sweating it out. Molloy added some insurance in the fourth and sixth innings on a two-run homer by Elijah Leerdam and a solo shot from Michael Rahm.
Leerdam had three RBIs, second only to first baseman Angelo Navetta’s four. Navetta, Leerdam, Rahm, Dillon and Jake Saltzman all had multi-hit games and all had at least two RBIs.
On the other side Temenak led Queens with three hits, four RBIs and a triple. Mendez and Paulino Harrington were the only other two Knights with multiple hits. Harrington also had three RBIs while Mendez had two of his own.
After that offensive battle the stage was set for game two, which was scheduled for just seven innings. Again Queens jumped out in front, this time to a 3-0 lead in the first on a Joe Morris double and a Bill Riches single.
But after a two run first and three run second and third Molloy seemed in control with a 8-3 lead. However, Queens refused to quit yet again and put up a five run fifth featuring RBI singles from Riches, Louis Antos, and Brian Watters.
So the two sides were all tied up heading into the seventh and final inning. That was until leadoff hitter Thom Parish drove what at the time could have been the winning run in on a single. Parish led the Knights with three hits and two RBIs, and Morris, Riches, and Watters all had multi-hit games as well.
However, Molloy wasn’t ready to go home and with runners on the corners Saltzman, the freshman was able to score on a wild pitch sending the game into extra innings. Then after pitcher Shawn Klotsche sent Queens’ batters down in order and Molloy loaded the bases Saltzman got to be the hero.
It will go down in the books as a single but Saltzman crushed a 1-1 pitch to left field just shy of going over the fence. Although he did miss a walk off grand slam the result was the same and Molloy walked off with a win.
After the game Saltzman said that, “I was really just trying to elevate the pitch with less than two outs, I was just trying to put it in the air no matter where it was in the outfield.”
Head coach Joe Fucarino agreed, at that point they were just looking for a fly ball. He added, “It was tough conditions out there today, the wind was blowing out, balls were taking off of the bats. We made good approaches, we had a game plan… But we got two wins and that’s what’s important just building conference wins.
This series will continue Sunday at noon and wrap up Monday as Queens hopes to even this series on their home field.
