KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – The season-opening five-game homestand for Queens University of Charlotte baseball came to an end Tuesday night as the Royals fell 9-4 to Limestone College at Intimidators Stadium.
 
The Saints (2-3) used nine different pitchers, one in each inning, to keep the Royals (1-4) offense off balance. Queens registered just four hits in the game, including a 2-for-2 performance from freshman Griffin Hughes.
 
Limestone got on the scoreboard first with a run in the second inning before tallying four runs in the third inning, thanks in large part to a three-run double from Benjamin Huber.
 
After another Saints run in the top of the fifth inning, Queens broke through with a run of its own as redshirt-junior CJ Hammonds walked, stole second, and later scored on a wild pitch. Three more Limestone runs in the sixth put the visitors ahead 9-1 with just three innings to play.
 
In the home half of the seventh, Hughes roped a two-out double to left field and put runners on second and third for the Royals. A throwing error by the Limestone shortstop allowed Hughes and redshirt-freshman Wes Boling to score. An RBI single from redshirt-freshman Aaron Douglas brought another run across the plate before a strikeout ended the frame.
 
Queens puts runners on in both the eighth and ninth innings but could not put together a rally.
 
Freshman Alec Hunter (0-1) suffered the loss in his first collegiate start, allowing five runs (four earned) on just three hits with five walks and six strikeouts.
 
Fellow freshmen Daniel Bagwell and Evan Dix combined for 3.1 innings of relief, while redshirt-junior Max Fries tossed a scoreless seventh inning and struck out two. Freshman Tanner Jacobson finished the final two innings, striking out four batters and giving up one hit.
 
The Royals head south for their first road trip of the season, beginning a three-game series with regional power Flagler College on Friday, February 8 at 4 p.m. in Saint Augustine, Florida.