SALISBURY, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte baseball team put on a display of power totaling nine extra base hits, including five home runs, across two games on Saturday but suffered a doubleheader sweep at the hands of nationally-ranked Catawba College in South Atlantic Conference action from Newman Park.
Game One: No. 14 Catawba, 16, Queens 10
The Royals were the first on the scored in game one of the day as freshman
Nick Melton belted a solo home run in the first inning. Queens lead grew to a5-0 advantage in the third as redshirt juniors
Ryan Dudney and
CJ Hammonds and redshirt-freshman
Noah Jones each had home runs in the inning.
Redshirt-junior
Kollin Schrenk got the start on the mound for Queens and held the potent Catawba offense to just one hit over three innings before giving way to relief. The Indians found life at the plate, tagging the Royals' bullpen for 16 runs, including nine in the fourth, on just 11 hits to complete the comeback.
Queens looked to mount a comeback in the seventh inning, scoring five runs in the frame thanks in large part to a grand slam from Jones, his second home run of the game. Catawba responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning to extend its lead and claim the win.
Jones finished 2-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI, while Dudney was 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and an RBI of his own. Redshirt-sophomore
Dominic Ford was also 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored as six Royals had multi-hit games.
Game Two: No. 14 Catawba 8, Queens 3 (Seven inn.)
The Indians carried momentum into the night cap, scoring three runs in the first inning for an early 3-0 advantage. Jones drove in two with an RBI double in the third to cut the deficit to one run before Catawba answered with a run of its own in the home half.
In the fourth, Queens once again got within a run of tying the game on a Dudney RBI single but the Indians tallied three runs in the bottom of the frame to remain ahead.
Melton led the offense, going 2-for-3 from the plate, and Jones was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Freshman
Alec Hunter was 1-for-2 with a walk in his first action of the season as a designated hitter.
Queens and Catawba conclude the weekend series tomorrow with a single game scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. from Salisbury.
