Queens (15-14/6-1 CC) softball picked up two wins over West Virginia State University (14-14/3-1 WVIAC)  to improve to 15-13 on the year and hold a record over .500 for the first time this season. The sweep makes Queens the first Conference Carolinas school to sweep the Yellow Jackets this season. Mount Olive split with the Yellow Jackets on Tuesday  and Belmont Abbey was swept Wednesday.

 

The Royals won the first game 3-1 and the second 5-2.

 

Queens racked up 14 hits over the two games and the pitching staff gave up just four hits in each game.

 

The Royals travel to nonconference Augusta State on Friday, March 26 and then return to league play on Sunday, March 28 at Limestone.

 

Game one

 

In the first, with two outs Mallory Hilton homered over the left field fence to give the visiting Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead.

 

Queens threatened in the bottom of the first, but closed the inning leaving two in scoring position.

 

In the third, Maria Goode (Charlotte, N.C., Providence) started a Queens rally with a battle at the plate to eventually single. Amanda Bowman (Kernersville, N.C,, Glenn) put a strong bunt down just out of the reach of three WVSU players to advance Goode and reach first. Keeya Turner (Fayetteville, N.C., 71st ) dropped a single behind third base to load the bases.

 

Megan Campbell (Raleigh, N.C., Athens Drive) collected her 15^th RBI with a sac' fly to center field allowing Goode to score and tie the game. Queens continued the rally with a well-hit single by Alisha Waldrop (McDonough, GA , Luella) to drive in two and give the Royals a 3-1 lead.  

 

Chantel Dodge (Shalimar, Fla., Choctawhatchee) gave up four hits, two in the first two innings then one in the fourth and one in the sixth. The Royals registered five hits, two coming from Turner. With the win Dodge improves to 10-5 on the season.

 

Kelsey Lorraine was throwing for WVSU and earns the loss.  

 

Game two

WVSU took a 2-0 lead after the second inning to start game two, but Queens answered with  three runs in the bottom of the second.

 

Megan Lathbury (Georgetown, Del., Sussex Central) drove in her 15^th run of the season on a long single that she advanced to second on after the center fielder misplayed the ball. Megan Rollins (Salem, Ore., South Salem) hit her first extra-base hit of the season in a double to drive in the other two runs and put Queens up 3-2.

 

Waldrop picked up her third RBI of the day in the third to give Queens a 4-2 lead. Waldrop singled as closely down the left field line as possible to bring in Bowman.

 

The Yellow Jackets had just one hit in the last four innings and got four other batters on base, but could not convert them into runs.

 

The Royals offense had nine hits with Bowman and Lathbury each contributing two. Of the nine hits, three were extra-bases hits.

 

Brandy Jester (Georgetown, Del., Sussex Central) picked up the win to improve her record to 5-8. Jester's counterpart, Sara Pelegreen, was the losing pitcher in the game.