Kozerski’s Complete-Game Gem Leads Queens Baseball Back to Championship Saturday

Recap courtesy of Queens College Sports Information NIAGARA FALLS, NY – Having advanced to game five of the 2025 East Coast Conference Baseball Championship and a spot in the Championship game on the line, the #4 seed Queens College baseball team matched up against #3 seed Mercy University Mavericks in the last and final game of Friday's tripleheader at Sal Maglie Stadium. BOX SCORE   Looking to return to their third ECC final in the last four years, the Knights outhit the Mavericks 14-4 led by junior shortstop Nick Piazza (Queens, N.Y.) (3-5 AB, 2B, 2RBI), All-ECC senior second baseman Robert Jacobsen (Temecula, Calif.) (3-4 AB, 2B, RBI, 3R, 2BB) and sophomore first baseman Jordan Babbo (Merrick, N.Y.) (2-4 AB, RBI) combining for eight hits, four RBI, three runs scored as the trio knocked in multi-hit games.   While six Knights in senior left fielder Leo Alvarez (Oceanside, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, 2RBI, 2R, BB), senior catcher Thomas Napolitano Jr. (Scottsdale, Ariz.) (1-4 AB, 2RBI, R, 2BB), All-ECC senior Penn Sealey (Raleigh, N.C.) (1-4 AB, RBI, 3R, 2BB), red-shirt freshman Evan Paladino (Wantagh, N.Y.) (1-1 AB, RBI), All-ECC sophomore utility Michael Vilardi (Massapequa, N.Y.) (1-4 AB, RBI, 2R, 2BB), and All-ECC senior center fielder Nick O'Connor (Wantagh, N.Y.) (1-5 AB, RBI, 2BB) combined for six hits, eight RBI and eight runs scored.   In total 11 Knights combined for 15 RBI with four players in senior Matt Filip (Maspeth, N.Y.) (2RBI, 3BB), Piazza, Alvarez, and Napolitano Jr. combined for multi-RBI as the Knights scored 17 runs.   On the mound, senior Nick Kozerski (Hicksville, N.Y.) (W, 3-4, 9.0 IP, 4H, 2ER, BB, 5K) put together his first career complete game outing to lead the Knights back to Championship Saturday as Queens earned a 17-2 game five victory.   With their 20th victory of the year in the game five victory head coach Chris Reardon and the Knights have posted 20 wins for the sixth straight year. GAME RECAP (QUEENS 17, MERCY 2) In another win-or-go-home situation, the Knights offense wasted no time taking an early lead as they totaled three hits and earned four walks to take a 6-0 lead after the top of the first inning as Queens sent 12 batters to the plate.   Looking to take the Knights back to Championship Saturday, Kozerski would produce the second gem of the day for the Knights on the mound.   Working behind six early runs, the Hicksville native allowed one hit and two total base runners through the first three innings of play to put the Mavericks offense under pressure including working a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third.   The Queens offense playing the patience game used one hit and four walks to their advance and would take a 10-0 lead after the top of the fourth inning as they sent nine batters to the plate.   As Kozerski retired his sixth straight batter to open the bottom of the fourth, back-to-back singles would give the Mavericks two base runners for the first time on the day. A wild pitch would score the first run of the game for Mercy but the senior righty would keep the scoreline at 10-1 as he retired the next two batters to end the fourth inning of play.   For the third time in five innings, Queens sent nine or more batters to play as the Knights used five hits to score five runs to take a commanding lead of 15-1 after the completion of the top of the fifth.   An inside-the-park home run would see the Mavericks score their second run of the game in the home half of the fifth.   However with Kozerski in rhythm and in position to help the Knights save their pitching staff for Saturday, the senior would go to hold the Mavericks hitless over the final four innings of play to notch his first career complete game victory and lead the Knights back to their third Championship Saturday in the last four years as Queens earned a 17-2 game five victory.   SURVIVE AND ADVANCE The Knights have advanced to Championship Saturday, but are still in the elimination zone as they need to win game six of the tournament and force the If Necessary Game seven to win their third ECC title in program history. It is a rematch of Day 1 of the 2025 Championship tournament as the Knights match up against #1 seed Molloy University Lions. Looking to force GAME SEVEN, game six of the tournament will start at noon and the final game to be played 30 minutes later. For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), Twitter (@QCKnights), Queens College Baseball (@QC_Baseball) and Instagram (qcknightsny), QC Baseball (qcbaseball)
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