MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – Behind the pitching of two true freshmen, Zach Kelly and Tanner Jacobson, the Queens University of Charlotte baseball team picked up a 1-0 victory of No. 23 University of Mount Olive on Friday evening from Scarborough Field. The Royal fell 13-4 in the first game of the day, splitting the first two games of the three-game series.
 
Game One: No. 23 Mount Olive 13, Queens 4
 
The Trojans flexed their offensive muscle early in the day's first game, scoring seven runs in the third inning to take a commanding lead. The advantage stretched to 10-0 following a three-run fourth inning.
 
Queens got on the board with a solo home run form redshirt-freshman Wes Boling in the sixth inning, before the Trojans answered with a run of their own in the home half of the inning.
 
The eighth inning of play saw redshirt-freshman Greyson Haller drive in two runs with an RBI single, as Mount Olive responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the frame. Another Queens solo home run, this time from redshirt-junior Noah Jones in the ninth inning, provided the game's final tally.
 
Jones was 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI, while Boling was 1-for-2 with a home run, an RBI and a walk. Haller finished the contest 1-for-4 with two RBI.
 
Redshirt-freshman Nick Nelson (1-2) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs (one earned) on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 2.2 innings on the mound.

Freshman Alec Hunter tossed 4.1 inning of relief, allowing four runs on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts before fellow freshman Nick Brassington pitched the final inning of the game, giving up two runs on two hits.
 
Game Two: Queens 1, No. 23 Mount Olive 0 (Seven inn.)
 
Kelly (1-1) was masterful in his first collegiate start, holding the potent Trojan offense to just two hits across four innings of work. The Southport, N.C. native struck out seven batters on 90 total pitches.
 
The only run of the game came in the fifth inning, as freshman Griffin Hughes led off the frame by getting hit by a pitch. Hughes later scored on a wild pitch to provide the only run support the Queens' pitching staff would need.
 
Jacobson earned his first career save after allowing just one hit across the final three innings of play, striking out five batters and giving up just one walk.
 
Jones once again led the Royals' offense, going 2-for 3 at the plate with a double, while freshman Nick Melton recorded the only other hit of the game for Queens.
 
"I feel our guys have seen that we can compete with anyone talent-wise, but the execution just hasn't matched up with our talent level so far," said Queens Head Baseball Coach Jack McDowell. "Today I feel we saw what we can do when we don't give teams extra outs and our pitchers close out innings. The bottom line is we are super young usually starting 6 or 7 freshmen. We are learning as a team and we are learning about our guys as a coaching staff."
 
Queens and Mount Olive conclude the weekend series tomorrow with a single game scheduled to begin at Noon.