FLORENCE, S.C. – Eight fielding errors by the Queens University of Charlotte baseball team led to a 16-3 loss at the hands of regional power Francis Marion University on Wednesday night at Sparrow Stadium.
 
After more than a week away from competition, the Royals (3-9) fell behind quickly after the Patriots (10-5) scored 10 runs on just seven hits in the opening inning of play.
 
Queens got on the board with a run in the second, but Francis Marion answered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning. The Patriots added three more runs in the fourth to extend their lead.
 
Freshman Nick Melton led off the top half of the fifth with a solo home run and redshirt-junior Ryan Dudney followed with a one-out solo shot of his own, but a runner was left stranded at second, ending the rally.
 
Francis Marion added two insurance runs in the eighth. Queens put runners on the corners in the top of the ninth, but a strikeout ended the game.
 
Melton was 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and an RBI, while Dudney finished 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. Redshirt-freshman Noah Jones turned in a 2-for-3 performance with a run scored and a walk.
 
Freshman left-hander Landen Wright (0-2) was hit with the loss after allowing seven runs (six earned) on four hits in just 1/3 of an inning on the mound.
 
Junior Lee Harrison and redshirt-junior Kollin Schrenk and Max Fries, and freshman Evan Dix each pitched a scoreless inning of relief as the Royals used nine pitchers in the game.
 
Queens begins South Atlantic Conference play this weekend when it hosts Coker College in a three-game series. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. from Kannapolis.