The Queensborough Tigers defeated the Bronx Broncos, 23-14, in the CUNYAC Community College Baseball Championship at Tomas D. Morales Baseball Field on the campus of the College of Staten Island. Queensborough, the regular season champions, were looking for their second straight title while the Broncos were looking for their fifth championship in the last eight years. Ultimately, the Tigers prevailed and took home their fifteen championship since 1989.
 
Bronx got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning as Mark Ycaza hit an RBI double and later scored on a wild pitch. Queensborough would answer in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single by Hamo Deljanin. At the end of one, Bronx led 2-1.
 
Both teams added a run in the second inning to bring the score to 3-2. However, in the top of the third, Bronx scored six runs to increase their lead. Edwin Ramirez hit a bases loaded single to plate two and Crioni Brazoban capped off the inning with a two-run single. Bronx later added an additional run in the top of the fourth to take a 10-2 lead, their largest lead of the night.
 
Down eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Tigers started chipping away at the lead with RBI’s by Timothy Jacquez and Lebro Burnette. Later on in the inning, Jeinson Espinosa hit a line drive to right field for an inside-the-park homerun. The Tigers now trailed by five runs.
 
The Broncos answered with two runs in the top of the fifth, courtesy of an RBI single by Claudio Deaza. Once again, Queensborough responded by plating three in the bottom half. With two outs and the bases load, Burnette hit a base hit up the middle to score two runners and cut the deficit to 12-8.
 
The following frame would be the turning point of the game for the Tigers. With two outs in the inning, Richard Tejada singled to right center to score one and Alex Pangourelias hit a two-run double down the right field line to cut Bronx’s lead to 12-11. After a throwing error enabling Pangourelias to get to third, the Broncos’ pitcher balked to tie the game at 12.

“We battled back all game and were finally able to tie it,” said head coach Roger Mischel.
 
The Tigers would not look back as they took the lead in the 7th inning with Nicholas Yip two-run triple to give them their first lead of the game. They eventually broke the game open in the eight inning, scoring eight runs thanks to walks and six hits in the inning. Going into the ninth and final inning, the Tigers owned a 23-13 lead. The Broncos scored one in the top half but Queensborough came away with the victory by a final score of 23-14.
 
“It means a lot to win back-to-back championships,” Mischel said. “I was a player for QCC and was only able to go 1-1…so to finally win it as a coach is special.”
 
The Most Valuable Player was awarded to Queensborough’s Pangourelias. Pangourelias was 4-for-5 with three RBI’s, four runs scored, two stolen bases and had a pivotal hit and run scored to tie the game for the Tigers.
 
“It feels unreal,” Pangourelias said. “It’s been an unbelievable experience for me and I couldn’t have asked for more.”
 
Final game stats can be found here.

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