FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – Friday marked Opening Day for the 2019 season for the Queens University of Charlotte softball team, as the Royals hit the road to take on Emmanuel College in a doubleheader from Franklin Springs, Ga. Queens secured its first victory of the season in the first game of the day, beating Emmanuel by a final score of 4-2, but the Lady Lions bounced back in game two and picked up a 6-5 win over the Royals.
 
Game One: Queens 4, Emmanuel 2
 
Knotted in a scoreless tie heading into the bottom of the third inning, Emmanuel jumped on the board first thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Caitlin Parks to give the Lady Lions an early 2-0 advantage.
 
However, Queens wasted no time evening the score during its next at-bats, as the Royals cranked back-to-back solo shots from the four and five-hole hitters to square things up at 2-2.
 
With one out and bases empty in the top of the fourth, sophomore catcher Jordan Hunt put the Royals on the scoreboard for the first time this season with the ninth home run of her career to cut the lead to one. Wishing to continue the offensive momentum created by her teammate, freshman McKenzie McCullen then stepped up to the plate and followed Hunt up with a solo home run of her own – the first of her career in her first-career game – with a shot over the left field fence.
 
Led by junior captain Courtney Pearson (1-1) in the circle, Queens would never trail again for the remainder of game one. After a Breanna Martinez walk and a sacrifice bunt by Sara Ingoldsby to move Martinez up to second, Gerlea Patton found the gap in right center for the go-ahead run on an RBI-triple. A Grace Valchar single down the left field line scored Patton on the next at-bat, which proved to be more than enough of insurance for Pearson.
 
Pearson blanked the Lady Lions while recording the game's final 12 outs en route to a complete-game performance. She allowed five hits and two runs (both earned) over seven innings, while striking out eight and walking only two.
 
For Queens, the Royals recorded eight hits on the game, led by three players with two apiece: Patton, Hunt and Kelly Winter.
 
Game Two: Emmanuel 6, Queens 5
 
Forced to once again play from behind, Queens overcame a two-run deficit for the second time in as many games. Trailing 3-1 moving into the top of the fifth, the Royals manufactured four runs to take a two-run lead, 5-3.
 
Once again, it was the heart of the Queens lineup that did the bulk of the damage. After a Patton single and stolen base, a walk by Valchar and Hunt getting hit by a pitch, McCullen notched another extra base hit on the day, this time a double to right field that scored Patton and Valchar. It was Winter's turn next, as she stepped up and recorded the game's second double in a row, hers to left center field, that scored Hunt. Winter later scored on a bunt single from teammate Grace Wesoly to cap off the four-run fifth inning.
 
However, the Lady Lions then stormed back, recording three unanswered runs over the course of the fifth and sixth innings to take the 6-5 lead and eventual final score.
 
While Shannon McGuire started game two for the Royals in the circle, throwing four innings of five-hit ball and giving up three runs, it was Pearson who suffered the loss. Pearson gave up the game's final three runs, all of which were earned, on three hits in two innings, as her record moved to 1-1 through two games this season.
 
Both teams finished with eight hits and three errors. For Queens, Cierra Robinson and Wesoly led the team on the offensive end with two hits apiece.
 
The Royals will be back in action tomorrow, Feb. 9 for home games against Virginia State University. The doubleheader was forced to relocate and will be played at Terry Field on the campus of Winthrop University. Game times are slated for noon and 2 p.m.