Uniondale, N.Y. - The Molloy baseball team kicked off East Coast Conference play Friday afternoon, splitting with the Knights of Queens College (8-3 and 0-2) at Mitchel Field. Following the twin-bill, the Lions sit at 6-6 overall and 1-1 in ECC play, while the Knights move to 4-6 overall and 1-1 in league play.

Game One: Molloy 8, Queens 3

• Queens got on the board in the top of the first. Justin Chong tripled and was brought in following an RBI ground out.
• Molloy starter James Sill settled into a groove, retiring 13 in a row through the fifth inning while striking out six in that span.
• The Lions answered in the bottom of the second with three runs crossing the plate to jump in front, 3-1. After Steve Mulqueen began the inning with a single, he would come around to score after junior Brian Sanchez drove him in with a sacrifice fly. Molloy would have their second run score following an error and senior Jeremy Taggart capped the inning with a single up the middle to plate freshman John Franco.
• The home team added to its lead, 5-1, in the bottom of the fifth after junior Charlie Imhof doubled home two runs.
• The cardinal and white continued to extend their lead in the sixth. Senior Sean Welsh drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Mulqueen singled to score junior Mike Sweeney to open the lead, 7-1.
• Molloy would plate one run in the seventh following a wild pitch to increase its lead, 8-1.
• The Knights would see two runs cross the plate in the top of the ninth and would load the bases with two outs in the frame, but sophomore Ziggy Cohen induced a game-ending fly out to secure the victory, 8-3.
• Sill tossed eight innings allowing one run on three hits while striking out a season-high 10.
• Mulqueen paced the offense with three hits, two runs scored, and one RBI.
• Imhof collected two hits and two RBI.

Game Two: Molloy 0, Queens 2

• After two scoreless innings, Queens threatened to break the game open in the top of the third loading the bases with two outs. Sophomore Jayden Patel would escape the jam, ending the inning with a strikeout looking to keep the Knights off the board.
• The Lions bats would be held in check through four innings, scattering three singles across the four frames.
• The road team took advantage of a Molloy error in the fifth to bring a run in to take a 1-0 lead.
• Queens increased its lead, 2-0, in the sixth following an RBI single. The Knights looked to add to it later in the frame, loading the bases with one out. Junior Thomas Charlwood would be called out of the bullpen to limit the damage and would do so successfully, inducing an inning ending 6-4-3 double play.
• The cardinal and white got a pair of runners on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, seeking to tie the contest, but Queens college would not allow it to happen securing the doubleheader split, 2-0.

Up Next
Molloy will continue ECC play Saturday, March 14 as Staten Island comes to Uniondale for a doubleheader. In a twin-bill that was scheduled to be on Staten Island, but moved to Mitchel Field due to weather, the Dolphins will serve as the home team for both games beginning at 12:00 p.m.