CHARLOTTE, N.C.- Queens softball held on to its perfect Conference Carolinas as it defeated Pfeiffer 4-3 and 1-0 Wednesday evening at Park Road Park. The first win was a dramatic one and the second kept Queens undefeated in league action.
The Royals pitching for the day combined for 15 strikeouts, Chantel Dodge (Shalimar, Fla., Choctawatchee) with 11 and Brittany Stephens (Charlotte, N.C., Hickory Grove Baptist) with four.
Queens hosts Chowan on Saturday at 1pm.
Game 1
Queens (10-13/4-0 CC) scored three in the bottom of the seventh starting with a single from Keeya Turner (Fayetteville, N.C., 71st ).
The next two batters, Mary Lee Giurintano (Greensboro, N.C. , Glenn ) and Amanda Bowman (Kernersville, N.C,, Glenn), each singled and smart base running by Turner brought in the first of three runs.
A sacrifice fly from Kari Kmetic (Milwaukie, Ore., Putnam) advanced Giurintano and Bowman and into position for Megan Campbell's(Raleigh, N.C., Athens Drive ) chance at the plate.
Campbell connected hitting a double to left field, brining the tying and go-ahead runs around.
Queens started the evening's games by scoring one in the first and held the advantage until the top of the third.
The Falcons' (14-10/2-4 CC) first run of the game was driven in by Stephanie Bethea. Bethea singled with the bases loaded, driving in Sarah Moore. Two batters later, with the bases still loaded, Shelby Flemming was hit by Dodge, forcing Brittany Waldon to round home.
Pfeiffer struck again two innings later, converting two hits into one run.
The fifth and sixth innings passed without either team brining in a run, and heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Falcons still had the 3-1 lead.
Dodge threw 11 strikeouts in the game and the defense did not commit a single error. The offense recorded 10 hits, two each from Bowman, Kmetic and Campbell.
Pfeiffer's Ranzy York put two Royals away with strikes. The offense connected on five pitches from five different batters.
Game 2
The second game was decided by just one run.
Dodge averaged just one hit per inning for the first five. Strong defense around her helped keep the Falcons from rounding the bases for runs. In the third, two quick plays by Queens helped turn the inning. Alisha Waldrop (McDonough, GA , Luella ) tug the base runner on third and Queens picked off Kylee Nichols trying to steal second.
For the second time of the night, the Royals scored as Campbell hit a double. Waldrop and Kmetic started the rally and Campbell's double drove in Kmetic.
Stephens gave up two hits in the final two innings, but Pfeiffer could not get any offense going to tie the game.
In total, Stephens faced 25 batters, gave up seven hits and struck four out. Pfeiffer's Allison Braswell saw 21, gave up two hits and had three strike outs.
