CHARLOTTE, N.C.  – The Queens University of Charlotte softball team advanced to the semifinal round of the South Atlantic Conference Championships last night with a 5-4, eight-inning win over Newberry College. Next up for the sixth-seeded Royals (36-14) is a game with second-seeded Coker College (34-15) who advanced to the semifinal round with a 7-0 win over Catawba College.
 
Queens and Coker split their series earlier in the season with Queens winning game one 8-3 and the Cobras taking game two 2-0.
 
Courtney Pearson secured the win for the Royals in game one, pitching a full game and giving up seven hits and two earned runs while striking out nine batters. At the plate, Sara Ingoldsby and Jordan Hunt helped lead the charge in game one. Ingoldsby went 2-for-4 with one run and two RBIs while Hunt went 1-for-3 with two runs, one RBI, and one home run. Hunt also went 1-for-3 in game two, recording one of Queens' three hits in the game.
 
Coker was led by Maria Williamson who was 3-for-6 at the plate, recording one run, three RBIs, and a home run. Taylor Forehand secured the game two win for the Cobras pitching a complete game and giving up four hits and zero runs while striking out two batters.
 
The winner of today's semifinal will advance to the finals and face the winner of No. 8 Carson-Newman and No. 3 Anderson University. Queens split its regular season series with the Eagles dropping game one, 3-1, and winning game two, 7-1. The Royals also split with the Trojans taking game one, 5-2, and falling, 10-2, in game two.
 
Shannon McGuire recorded the win against Carson-Newman pitching 4.1 innings, giving up one run and striking out three while Courtney Pearson earned the save pitching 2.2 innings to give up zero hits and zero runs while striking out four. Pearson also earned the win against the Trojans pitching all seven innings and giving up six hits and two earned runs while striking out nine.
 
In Queens' game against Carson-Newman, Abby Lathan recorded a home run while going 1-for-3 with one run and two RBIs in game one. Elaina Frantellizzi also contributed to the Royals' victory going 3-for-4 with one run, two RBIs, and two doubles.
 
Against Anderson, Evie Scott's third-inning grand slam highlighted the day. Gemma Miller, Sara Ingoldsby, and Alyssa Strickler also recorded a hit for the Royals in game one. In game two, Ingoldsby recorded two hits in three at-bats to record one of Queens' two runs of the game.
 
Today's semifinal game will be played at 2:30 p.m. at the AU Sports Complex in Anderson, S.C. The championship final is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. this evening.