MONTREAT, N.C.- One-run decided both games of the double-headers as the Royals played NAIA institution Montreat College in Montreat, N.C., Saturday evening. A run in the bottom of the seventh gave the Cavaliers the 1-0 win in the first game and a Queens rally in the second game felt short, allowing Montreat to win 6-5.
Chantel Dodge (Shalimar, Fla., Choctawatchee) gave up six hits, but it wasn't until the last one that allowed the home team to score the game-winning run. In the bottom of the seventh Amy Vagel led off with a double and advanced to third on a passed ball while Oliva Huffman was up to bat. Huffman reached first on a fielder's choice, allowing Vogel to score the run.
Megan Campbell (Raleigh, N.C., Athens Drive ) recorded the only hit, a double, for Queens in the game. Vagel and Mandi Pike each had two, of the six, hits for Montreat.
Dodge recorded eight strikeouts and Rachel Stowe of Montreat only recorded three.
In the second game of the afternoon, Queens scored three runs in the top of the fourth to take the lead 3-2.
Mary Lee Giurintano (Greensboro, N.C. , Glenn ) hit a triple, driving in Keeya Turner (Fayetteville, N.C., 71st ). Campbell followed up her double from the first game with her first homer of the season, driving in another two runs for the Royals.
Montreat evened the score with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth. Two innings later the Cavaliers scored their final three runs, two unearned and one earned.
Brittany Stephens (Charlotte, N.C., Hickory Grove Baptist) started the top of the seventh off with a double, followed up by Audra Littlejohn (Riverside, Calif., Centennial ) with a single. A Montreat error allowed the Littlejohn to advance to double, and Stephens to score. Alisha Waldrop (McDonough, GA , Luella ) singled, driving in Littlejohn to make the score 6-5. With the tying run on base and the go-ahead run at the plate, Turner was unable to connect and was struck out for the last out of the inning.
Stephens started the game on the mound for the Royals, pitching 4.1 innings and Dodge closed the game. Stephens saw 21 batters and struck eight out while giving up six hits. Doge struck out two and gave up three hits.
Queens got eight hits off of Meredith Mitchell. Stephens led the way with two hits, while the other six hits came from six different Royals.
The Royals travel to Lenoir-Rhyne University on Feb. 18 for a double-header. Queens in on the road until March 1 and hosts local opponent Johnson C. Smith University at 2pm.
