Queens, NY | Following a 0-3 start to the season, the BMCC Panthers baseball team was looking to turn things around this Saturday when they faced off against the Kingsborough Wave in a doubleheader. A late game rally, combined with lights out pitching from Christopher Rodriguez pushed the Panthers to a 12-9 defeat of Kingsborough and snapped the Wave's 5-game win streak.

After a 1-2-3 top half of the inning from starting pitcher Koby Johnston, BMCC right fielder Diego Rodriguez gave the Panthers the lead with a solo home run over the wall in right center field. KCC took a 5-1 lead the next inning but BMCC would respond with 3 runs coming off of a sacrifice fly by Diego Rodriguez followed by a 2-run double by Andys Ventura. The Panthers would regain the lead in the fourth inning, with the heart of the order driving in two more runs and shortstop Aidan Blum adding on with an RBI single.

Kingsborough scored 3 unanswered runs to take a 9-7 lead in the top half of the sixth inning. A call to the bullpen brought Christopher Rodriguez to the mound and he promptly struck out 2 batters and caught a runner stealing to end the frame. Christopher Rodriguez would help out his cause with a clutch 2-run homer to even the score at 9-9. The Panthers kept the pressure on by drawing three walks, then a Kingsborough error followed by a wild pitch would plate two more runs. Second baseman Maxwell Jimenez provided another insurance run with a single that scored Esteban Castro. Christopher Rodriguez closed the door on the Wave with a pair of strikeouts in a 1-2-3 final inning to seal the Panthers' first victory of the season.

In the second half of the doubleheader the Panthers recorded 4 runs on 8 hits, including a solo home run from Jimenez to keep the score close. Kingsborough built up a 6-1 lead in the third inning that proved to be too much for BMCC to overcome as the Panthers fell to the Wave by a final score of 7-4.

The men's baseball team will be back in action this Tuesday for game 1 of their series against the Suffolk Sharks. BMCC will host the game at Preller field, first pitch is set for 4pm.