BRISTOL, Tenn. – After stringing along four-straight wins, the Queens University of Charlotte softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader on Tuesday against King University at King Softball Field. The Royals move to 5-3 on the season, while King goes to 2-0. 
 
Game One: King 5, Queens, 3
 
Despite a three-run shot by Sydney Ditto in the fifth inning to cut the lead to one, the Royals were unable to escape a three-run deficit against King, who put up a three-spot in the first inning in Tuesday's doubleheader. 
 
Queens' sophomore Shannon McGuire (2-2) allowed a bases-loaded double in the first inning from King's Hattie Campbell. Campbell later singled through the right side in the bottom of the third inning, scoring teammate Kay Brokering, to give King a 4-0 lead. 
 
Ditto took things into her own hands in her first game back from injury, cranking a three-run home run to left center in the top of the fifth inning, scoring Cierra Robinson and Sabrina Martinez, to cut the lead to one. However, despite the three-run, two-hit inning, Queens was unable to plate another runner, allowing King to take the win, 5-3.
 
McGuire took the loss in the circle, while King's Leslie Odom (1-0) took the win, with Rachel Farmer earning his first save of the season. 
 
Game Two: King 3, Queens 1 
 
After again getting down early on, allowing two runs to cross the plate in the bottom of the first inning, the Queens offense was unable to battle back from a deficit, eventually falling by a 3-1 score in the second leg of Tuesday's doubleheader. 
 
King had two runs cross the plate on one hit and one error in the first inning. The Tornados scored a third run in the bottom of the fifth inning, and despite a run by Queens in the top of the sixth, thanks to a Ditto triple to left field that scored freshman Adriana Wilson, the Royals were once again unable to overcome the early deficit. 
 
Queens' junior Courtney Pearson (3-1) took the loss for the Royals. She pitched a complete-game six innings, while allowing four hits, three runs (two earned) to go with seven strikeouts and two walks. 
 
Leadoff hitter Gerlea Patton led the Royals with two hits, while Ditto and freshman Grace Valchar each collected one apiece. Patton also stole one base. 
 
Queens will be back in action of Friday, Feb. 22 in the Francis Marion Tournament. It will face West Liberty University in Florence, S.C. at 1 p.m., followed by a 5 p.m. matchup with Francis Marion at 5 p.m. later in the day.