CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In a faceoff of two top-25 teams and two of the top three programs in the South Atlantic Conference, the No. 22 Queens University of Charlotte softball team (31-9, 7-7) was unable to overcome the streaking No. 12 Bears of Lenoir-Rhyne (38-5, 15-1), who have now won 12 in a row, dropping today's two contests by scores of 11-6 and 20-3 from Park Road Park.
Despite the losses, shining bright was senior and team captain
Abby Lathan, whose fourth-inning home run in Game Two placed her at third on the all-time career list for home runs behind Kaitlyn Cheek and Whitney Britt.
With her 10th home run of the season and 21st of her career, Lathan surpassed Kelly Thomas (1995-97) and Kari Kmetic (2006-2009) to move up to third all-time. In doing so, she also moves into third-place all-time in single-season home runs, sitting just one back of Thomas with 11 and four back from Kaitlyn Cheek who holds the all-time season record with 14.
Lathan has now doubled her previous single-season high of five home runs which she hit during her sophomore season in 2016. She went long four times as a junior in 2017 and twice as a freshman in 2015.
As a whole, the Royals showed resiliency in the first game of the doubleheader, battling back from an early 6-0 deficit thanks to a six-run third inning led by three consecutive doubles from the top three batters in the order,
Sara Ingoldsby,
Kelly Winter and
Elaina Frantellizzi. Winter's double drove in two before Frantellizzi drove her in with a double of her own.
However, Lenoir-Rhyne answered immediately and combined for five runs over the next three innings for the 11-6 victory.
The six runs Queens scored in Game One ties for the second-most allowed by Lenoir-Rhyne this season. Though she boasts a 17-3 record and entered the day with a 1.85 ERA, the Royals chased starting pitcher Brandi Parks after just two innings. The matchup didn't get any easier, however, as Emily Kenley, 18-2 on the season, entered in relief. Kenley would go on to pick up the win in both games, improving to 20-2.
The Bears again struck early in Game Two, plating four runs in the first inning against starting pitcher
Courtney Pearson, all of which came unearned after defensive errors were committed on two of the first three at bats of the game. The Royals got two back in the third with back-to-back RBI singles from Winter and Frantellizzi, but the offensive firepower of Lenoir-Rhyne proved to be too much.
Only one away, head coach
Stacey Schramm will look for her 300th-career win in Queens next outing on Saturday, April 14 against Anderson University. The Royals will also be celebrating Senior Day during Saturday's event. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12 p.m.
