CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte softball team shared the day with the Crusaders of North Greenville as both teams walked away with a win on Wednesday, March 1, 2017. Despite suffering a 3-2 loss in the first matchup, Queens bounded back to take the second 7-5 to move to a 10-8 overall record. North Greenville finished the day with a 12-8 record.
 
Queens secured the win in their second game of the day against the Crusaders after battling through five innings of equal play. Both teams sat even after their first two at bats as the Royals' Sydney Ditto came home off a hit from Abby Lathan in the first inning while Hanna Hasker and Ditto scored in the bottom of the second. North Greenville saw runs from Megan Johnson, off a homerun, in the first at bat and Morgan Herlong and Kate Lee in the second.
 
The fourth at bat had both the Royals and Crusaders reaching on a dropped third strike, giving their runners a chance to jump home. Breanna Martinez tallied the run for Queens while Heather Wade took the score for North Greenville to keep the game tied at 4-4.
 
The mirroring scores would end in the fourth as Queens found three runs in the bottom of the fifth, giving them enough space for the game. A double by Ditto provided both B. Martinez and Kelly Winter enough time to round the bases. Ditto soon followed after Brooke Sanford reached on the throwing error.
 
North Greenville added a homerun by Shayna Finely in the top of the sixth.
 
Courtney Pearson tabbed the win to end the day at 7-4 after suffering the loss in the first game. She would come in as the relief pitcher for Evie Scott, pitching three innings with three hits and one run. Scott stood in the circle for four innings tallying six hits and four runs.
 
The Crusaders used three pitchers in the second game of the day as Brooklyn Fort suffered a loss for a 7-7 record. She saw two innings with five hits and three runs. Amanda Coffrin pitched for 1.2 innings with two hits and three runs with Anna Rogers saw 2.1 innings with three hits and one run.
 
In the first game, North Greenville made the board first, finding a run in the top of the second. Queens responded in the bottom of the third, evening the score with Skye Moore reaching home plate off a single into left by Ditto.
 
Taking the lead, Alyssa Stickler drove a hit over the fence for a one-run homerun in the team's next at bat (2-1). The lead would only last for an inning as the Crusaders tallied the tying run in the sixth and the game-winning run in the eighth.
 
Coffrin (5-4) secured the win pitching the last 1.2 innings. She suffered no hits and no runs in the victory. Brooklyn Fort started the game for the Crusaders, going 6.1 innings with three hits and two runs.
 
Pearson stood in the circle for all eight innings, seeing eight hits and three runs.

Queens will travel to the Shaw Tournament this weekend in Raleigh, N.C.