CHARLOTTE, N.C.- After seven days since the last games, Queens University of Charlotte softball didn't have any rust to knock off and dealt Lees-McRae College two Conference Carolinas losses on Sunday afternoon. The twinbill is the Royals last road trip of the regular season and the Royals hold a 10-7 record while on the road, 18-15 overall and 10-6 in league play. The Royals put the Bobcats (20-25/8-8) away by scores of 6-1 and 6-4 (9).
The wins are important as Queens is in fourth in the league standings, two games out of first place. Limestone is tied for first place with Erskine, both have records of 12-4 in conference play. It is hard to predict what could happen as three of the four top teams have one series left while third place Coker still faces Barton and Erskine. The Conference Carolinas Championship Tournament seedings could go in a number of directions based on the last few games. The tournament is scheduled for April 15-17 in Hartsville, S.C.
The Royals are the current tournament champions, having won the last two tournaments and advanced to the NCAA Championship.
Queens will close the regular season on Tuesday as they play host to Limestone College at 5pm and 7pm. The Royals three seniors will be honored prior to the first pitch.
Game 1
Queens 6
Lees-McRae 1
Queens opened scoring early in Game 1, posting two runs in the first inning, both unearned.
In the third, a double down the left field line by
Kaitlyn Cheek (Richmond, Va., JR Tucker) drove in
Keeya Turner (Fayetteville, N.C., 71st ) for a 3-0 lead.
Both teams notched single runs in the fifth, Queens keeping a 4-1 lead.
Alisha Waldrop (McDonough, Ga., Luella) hit a two-run homer down the left field line to drive in the final runs of the game, securing a Queens victory.
Waldrop was 2-3 in the game with one run scored and two RBI.
Emma Schultz (Silver Spring, Md., Paint Branch) went 3-4 with one RBI.
Brandy Jester (Georgetown, Del., Sussex Central) threw a complete game and improves to 11-11 on the year. She gave up just three hits in the game while striking out five.
Game 2
Queens 6
Lees-McRae 4
Nine innings
It was a come from behind win for Queens in the second game. The Bobcats posted a single run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. Paige Coleman drove the run in with a double.
The lead held for the Bobcats until the fifth when Queens scored three. Chantel Dodge (Shalimar, Fla., Choctawhatchee) doubled with two on, driving in the game tying and go-ahead run. She was able to advance to third on the play and that was key on the next play. Turner singled to second base, brining in Dodge. The Bobcats turned a double play to end the inning, stranding two on base.
Dodge gave up a homerun in the sixth, but Queens still had a one-run lead.
The top of the line-up was up to start the seventh inning. Maria Goode (Charlotte, N.C., Providence) reached, Dodge followed, reaching on a fielder's choice, but then was thrown out on the play. With two outs, Turner doubled and Cheek followed with a double of her own. Turner scored to put Queens up 4-2. The inning ended with Cheek still on base.
With two outs and one runner on, Meagan Knowles hit her first homerun of the year to tie the game at four. A pop-up closed the seventh and the game headed to extra-innings.
Brooke Spradlin (Charleston, S.C., Wando) started the ninth inning per NCAA softball extra-inning rules and advanced to third on a passed ball. Emily Poulton (Temecula, Calif., Great Oak) grounded out, but Spradlin was able to score on the play. Queens added a little insurance, capitalizing on fielding errors by Lees-McRae, and finished the inning up 6-4.
A sac-bunt moved the LMC runner from second to third, but Dodge would not give up a hit in the ninth and Queens picked up the key victory.
For her first complete game since the end of February, Dodge went nine innings, struck out six and allowed seven hits. The Royals offense posted 11 hits with Turner leading the way with four.
Turner was 4-5 in the game with one RBI, one run and a double. She was the only Queens player with multiple hits in the game.
