KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte baseball team got quality starts from two freshman arms in salvaging a doubleheader split with South Atlantic Conference foe Mars Hill University on Saturday afternoon at Intimidators Stadium.
 
Game One: Queens 11, Mars Hill 6
 
Queens was able to hold a late Mars Hill rally to secure a five-run win in the first game of the day, thanks in large part to a quality start from freshman right-hander Zach Kelly on the mound.
 
Kelly (2-4) picked up the win after tossing seven strong innings, allowing just one run on five hits with seven strikeouts in his sixth start of the year. Relievers Landen Wright, Nick Nelson, and Wes Boling all made appearances out the bullpen for Queens to preserve the win.
 
The Royals started the game off with a bang as redshirt-sophomore Dominic Ford led off the home half of the first inning with a solo home run to right center. RBIs from redshirt-junior Ryan Dudney and freshman Nick Brassington pushed the Queens lead to 4-0 after one inning of play.
 
Queens tallied five more runs across the second and third innings, including an RBI triple from redshirt-junior CJ Hammonds, to move the lead to 9-0 before two runs in the sixth pushed the advantage to double digits.
 
Mars Hill scored their first run of the game in the seventh and got a pinch-hit grand slam from Jackson Leck in the top of the ninth, but Boling recorded two strikeouts to end the game and give Queens the win.
 
Four players collected multiple hits on offense, led by Brassington who finished 2-for-4 with two RBI. Fellow freshman Nick Melton was also 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Ford and redshirt-freshman Noah Jones each tallied two hits, one RBI and two runs scored.
 
Game Two: Mars Hill 5, Queens 3 (Eight inn.)
 
The Royals got another quality start from a freshman arm in the series finale as right-hander Tanner Jacobson gave us just one run on three hits with six strikeouts in his first career start but did not factor in the decision.
 
A two-run third inning, highlighted by an RBI single from redshirt freshman Anthony Orta, put Queens in front in the third inning before redshirt-junior Chase Hager added to the lead with an RBI single in the third.
 
The Lions score their first run of the game on a wild pitch in the sixth inning and tie the game at 3-all in the top of the seventh with a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly.
 
After Queens left a runner on in the home half of the seventh, Mars Hill took advantage of two Royals fielding errors to score two unearned runs in the eighth inning. The Royals had runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but the Lions got a force out at second to earn the split.
 
Orta was a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI in the game, while Brassington was 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored.
 
The Royals begin a five-game road trip on Tuesday, April 2 when the team travels to Florence, S.C. for a 6 p.m. matchup with Francis Marion University.