CHARLOTTE, N.C.- Against No. 22 Bloomsburg (2-0/0-0 PSAC) the Royals (2-12/0-0 Conference Carolinas) rallied in the second game, but couldn't pull of the comeback to upset the visiting Huskies. Queens lost the first contest 2-1 and the second 4-3 at Park Road Park in Charlotte, N.C.
Game 1
The first three innings went by without much action. In the three innings each team recorded just one hit while the pitchers of each team threw consistent strikes. For the Royals Chantel Dodge (Shalimar, Fla., Choctawatchee) put seven away on strikes, five went down swinging. Shavaun Fisher recorded seven strikes.
The game started to heat up after Mary Lee Giurintano (Greensboro, N.C. , Glenn ) singled in the fourth. The next batter struck out, but Guirintano was able to steal second. Fisher walked two to load the bases. Carrie Beth Richie (Fayetteville, N.C., Northwood Temple Academy) came up to the plate, to pinch hit for Audra Littlejohn (Riverside, Calif., Centennial ), but Fisher salvaged the inning striking Richie out.
In the top of the fifth the Huskies put two runs on the board off of three hits.
Queens used two perfectly placed bunts, one from Amanda Bowman (Kernersville, N.C,, Glenn) and the other from Guirintano, to move Megan Campbell around the bases after being walked. Alisha Waldrop (McDonough, GA , Luella ) flied out to center field, but it gave Campbell enough time to cross home. The Royals cut the visitor's lead in half.
The Royals defense played strong, not making a single error in the game and held the Huskies off in the final two innings. Queens swung away in the last two at bats, but couldn't connect to take the lead.
Queens had four hits in the game, two each from Guirintano and Bowman. The Huskies had five hits, two from Casey Massimini.
Dodge ended the game with nine strikeouts and Fisher had 14.
Game 2
Queens found themselves trailing by one after the first.
The Royals offense registered a hit in the second, but couldn't get a rally started.
A three-run homer by Lori Neyhard gave the Huskies a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth.
Queens got on the board two innings later with a rally that was started by Campbell when she smacked a triple down the right field line. Bowman singled down the opposite line, driving in Campbell.
Brittany Stephens (Charlotte, N.C., Hickory Grove Baptist) took over the pitching position in the fifth and held off the Huskies' offensive push. In the top of the seventh, Stephens struck out all three batters, giving Queens a chance to make up just three runs.
Down by three heading into the seventh, the Royals needed to get runs across the plate.
Stephens started the inning off with her first triple of the season. An error by the Huskie's left fielder gave Dodge a chance to get on base and Stephens to score. Queens trailed by two.
Campbell drove in the next run with a single, to put Queens down by one.
With the tying and go ahead run on base, the Royals went down swinging.
Campbell led the team with two hits, as a team Queens had seven.
Tara Reed had three hits in the game. The Huskies recorded eight total.
