Game 1 Game 2
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C.-  The Queens University of Charlotte softball team (3-7) hosted the Tornado from King University (0-6) this Valentine's Day. In two closely matched games, the Royals closed the first with victory of 9-8 before clinching the second 7-6.
 
The Royals started off strong in the first inning with multiple base hits. Courtney Pearson was the first to record two RBI's after hitting a double to left field. With bases loaded, Kelly Winter reached on a fielder's choice and recorded an RBI as teammate Pearson crossed home plate increasing the lead to 3-0.
 
King would answer in the top of the third when Danielle Parks scored off an error, after Queens attempted to catch Hannah Devotie stealing second. With the score at 3-1, both Hannah Riddle and Kaycee Casteel recorded single hits that brought in runners, tying the score at 3-3 in the third. Morgan Lowe would hit a homerun in the same inning to put the Tornado up by one.
 
Abby Lathan started the next at bat recording a homerun over the left field wall (4-4). King scored another run in the top of the fifth inning to put them up, but the Royals found a pair of homeruns in the bottom of the sixth from Sabrina Martinez and Alyssa Strickler, respectively, for a 6-5. Breanna Martinez would also score in the sixth inning to move the Royals ahead by two.
 
In the top of the seventh, Lowe singled and advanced to second on a fielding error and recorded an RBI as Erin Roper scored to make the score 7-7. Shortly after, Kelsey Nave tripled to right center allowing Lowe to score, thus putting the Tornado up by one.
 
With the Royals up-to-bat, S. Martinez singled through the right side recording an RBI as previously walked Lathan crossed home plate (score tied at 8-8). To win the game, with bases loaded, Strickler singled to left center and S. Martinez scored closing the game with a 9-8 score.
 
For the Royals, Allison Lopez, Evie Scott, and Pearson each saw time in the circle. The trio recorded eight strikeouts combined; Pearson (1-4) recorded six of the eight total strikeouts. Hayley Smothers (0-3) saw 11 hits and recorded four strikeouts for the Tornado.
 
In the second game, the Tornado put themselves on the board first as Lowe singled to left field recording an RBI from Devotie. Queens added a run to the scoreboard in the bottom of the third with a hit from Sydney Ditto to right center bringing Elaina Frantellizzi in for the tying run.  
 
Strickler hit her second homerun of the day in the bottom of the fourth with Brooke Sanford on base to give the team the lead at 3-1. Ditto kept the homeruns coming, hitting one to left center allowing B. Martinez to score, increasing their lead by two in the bottom of the fifth.
 
The Royals kept the score at 5-1 up until the top of the seventh when Casteel doubled to left center recording an RBI as Becca Gold crossed home plate. Riddle singled through the right side to bring Casteel home and cut Queens' lead to two (5-3). The Tornado would record another two runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead, making the score 6-5. However, Queens would answer at their next at-bat when Ditto doubled to right center as both Kelly Winter and Hanna Hasker scored for the win 7-6.
 
Pearson (2-4) pitched for Queens in the seven inning stretch seeing 12 hits along with eight strikeouts. Emma Hughes and Morgan Matthews (0-1) saw time in the circle for the Tornado; Hughes recorded three strikeouts.
 
For the day, the Royals recorded five home runs (two from Strickler) and 15 RBI's between both games.

The team heads into the Chowan Tournament in Murfreesboro, N.C., Saturday taking on Erskine College at 9 a.m., in the first day of the two-day tournament.