Box Score

The Broncos of Bronx Community College rallied from a 3-2 ninth inning deficit to defeat the Tigers of Queensborough Community College by a score of 4-3 at Ohio Field on Good Friday. With the sensational victory, the Broncos improved to a mark of 4-5 on the 2018 season, including a 2-0 record in CUNYAC action. The Tigers slipped to a mark of 6-4 on the year, and 0-2 in conference competition.

It was the second time in four days that the Broncos overcame a three-run deficit against Queensborough Community College. This past Tuesday, Bronx Community College trailed 5-2 before rallying for a 10-7 win. Today – the Broncos trailed 3-0 and were nine outs away from suffering a loss before staging another epic comeback.

In today's contest, neither team was able to push across a run over the opening two frames. In the top of the third, the Tigers plated two runs off Broncos starter Ariel Irving Lora. Jesse Iacovetta led off with an infield single. Then, after Elvis Torres flew out to center field, Iacovetta advanced to second base after Lora balked. John Fitzgerald then struck out swinging for the second out. That brought Nicholas DiLorenzo to the plate. He would rope a single to center to bring home Iacovetta, as Queensborough Community College would grab a 1-0 edge. Chris Astoske would then line a double to right-center field, and that would chase home DiLorenzo to catapult the Tigers to a 2-0 advantage.

The score of the game would remain 2-0 in favor of Queensborough Community College until the top of the sixth inning, when the Tigers would add an insurance run thanks to an RBI double by Michael Mescia. That would make the score 3-0 in favor of Queensborough Community College.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Broncos would finally break through against Tigers starter Ringo Rodriguez, who had labored through six scoreless innings prior to the seventh. In the frame, Bronx Community College pushed across two runs thanks to an RBI triple by Jeffrey Almanzar and an RBI single by Steven Santana. Later – with Santana on second base and two men away – Lora would step to the plate with a chance to tie the game with a base hit, but he would strike out to end the Broncos' threat.

Marlon Bautista – who replaced Lora and pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings – would allow two walks while striking out a batter before exiting the game with one out in the ninth. Derek Galvez would come on in relief of Bautista – striking out the final two batters of the frame to escape trouble. He would eventually earn the win in this game.

In the bottom of the ninth – with a runner on second base and two outs – Kevin Almonte would hit a single to center field – bringing home Justin Nunez – to tie the game at three apiece. The Broncos' next batter – Emmanuel Frias – would hit a line drive to center field – and despite the fact that it seemed the ball was sinking in a hurry – it was still a ball that Iacovetta should have caught. He dropped it, and the ball would get behind him, as Almonte would motor around to score the winning run as the Broncos' coaches and players erupted in celebration.

Almanzar and Santana were the two Broncos on the day with two hits apiece, with Almanzar recording a triple and single while driving in a run and scoring a run, and Santana singling twice and denting home plate once. On the pitching side, Lora turned in a decent performance, logging six innings and allowing three earned runs on six hits and five walks while striking out 10. Bautista and Galvez combined for three innings of scoreless relief, as they allowed three hits, walked three, and struck out seven.

Bronx Community College will return to action tomorrow afternoon, as the Broncos will take to the road to battle the Tigers in a CUNYAC doubleheader. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 12:00pm.