CHARLOTTE, N.C.- In the Conference Carolinas opening twin bill for the Royals softball team, Queens split with Erskine in Due West, S.C. It took 11 innings for the Royals to take the first game by a score of 5-4 and the second was called after five and a half innings due to darkness with the Flying Fleet winning 2-1.
Queens improves to 5-12 on the year and 1-1 in league action while the Flying Fleet hold a record of 8-14 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
Pitchers
Chantel Dodge (Shalimar, Fla., Choctawhatchee) and
Brandy Jester (Georgetown, Del., Sussex Central) each completed their respective games. Dodge was in the circle for the first game. In 38 at-bats she struck out nine, gave up nine hits and walked four. Jester was up for game two and struck out nine, gave up six hits and walked three in 21 at-bats.
Maria Goode (Charlotte, N.C., Providence) led the offense with three hits between the two games. She registered two hits in the opening game and one in the second.
Queens has a seven day break before their next outing on March 12 at the Francis Marion Tournament.
Game one
The Royals jumped out to a 1-0 lead after just their first at-bat. Leadoff batter Goode singled to start the game and the rest of the rotation took advantage of Erskine errors and keen base running to go up 1-0.
Queens padded the lead by three in the third.
Alicia Waldrop (McDonough, GA , Luella ) singled to drive two of the three runs in, then crossed home plate three batters later.
Erskine put their first runs on the board in the fourth when Courtney Davis hit a two-run homer. Dodge closed the inning by catching Kerry Fincher looking.
It was another two-run shot by the Fleet to tie the game in the fifth inning. Morgan Purcell hit the homerun.
After a five inning stalemate, Queens broke the scoring draught in the top of the 11
th. Dodge scored the game-winning run after advancing to third on a
Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, Conn., New Britain) SAC play and then scored on a passed ball.
Lauren Gunter was the starting pitcher for Erskine and lasted seven innings. The Royals got four hits off of her and five batters were struck out. Heather Richey finished the last four innings giving up one hit and striking out two.
Game two
Queens again posted the first run of the game, this time not until the third inning. Again, Goode scored the opening run having reached with a single and was able to score off of a single from
Megan Lathbury (Georgetown, Del., Sussex Central).
Erskine matched the run in the following inning after Queens committed and error at second base allowing Kelly Davis to score.
In the fourth Erskine put runners on the corners and the runner at first, Melanie Henderson, stole second. Davis singled on the next play earning the RBI when Kayla Vinson scored, giving Erskine a 2-1 lead.
Before Queens could get a tying and go-ahead run across the plate, the game was called after the top of the sixth due to darkness.
The Royals had four hits to Erskine's six.
