CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Despite scoring late in both games the Queens University of Charlotte baseball team suffered a doubleheader sweep at the hands of sixth-ranked Catawba College on Saturday afternoon from the Tuckaseegee Dream Fields.
 
Game One: No. 6 Catawba 7, Queens 3
 
The Indians scored early in the first game of the day with an RBI single from Luke Spiva in the first. Spiva added a second RBI to his total in the third inning before Catawba scored four in the sixth to build a 6-0 advantage.
 
In the eighth, sophomore Nick Melton hit a two-out double to right center and later scored on an RBI single from senior Drake Harris to put Queens on the board. After a Catawba run scored on a Queens error in the top of the ninth, sophomore Nick Brassington drove in two with an RBI single but a groundout ended the Royals' rally.
 
Brassington was 2-for-4 in the game with a double and two RBI, while Melton was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
 
On the mound, freshman Jeffery Maidhof (0-3) suffered the loss despite giving up just one run on three hits with four strikeouts in four innings of work. Sophomore Landen Wright recorded four strikeouts of his own in two innings out of the bullpen.
 
Game Two: No. 6 Catawba 5, Queens 4 (Eight innings)
 
Queens had Catawba on the ropes are rallying to force extra innings in the series finale, but the Indians loaded the bases to start the eighth inning and scored the go-ahead run on an RBI single from pinch hitter Cameron Morr. The Royals got a two-out single from redshirt-junior Dominic Ford in the home half of the eighth but was left stranded at first.  
 
After Catawba scored twice in the top of the first inning, Queens answered with an RBI single from sophomore Tanner Jacobson in the home half to cut the deficit in half.
 
A two-run home run from Indians' third baseman Jackson Raper gave his team a 4-2 lead in the fifth, leaving Queens with just two and a half innings to mount a comeback.
 
Melton reached on an error to start the seventh and advanced to second when freshman Julain Bailey drew a walk before scoring on an RBI single from redshirt-junior Mason Pickard started the rally. Junior RJ Conner's squeeze bunt brought Bailey home from third as pinch-hitting redshirt-senior CJ Hammonds tied the score at 4-all with an RBI single. A double play ended the inning and led to Catawba's go-ahead score in the eighth.
 
Jacobson finished 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI, while Ford was also 2-for-4 in the contest.
 
Redshirt-freshman Drew Meschede got the start for Queens and allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits with six strikeouts in five innings but did not factor in the decision. Redshirt-senior Christian Huggins tossed two innings of one-hit relief before giving way to Madisyn Bolin (1-2) who gave up one run on four hits with two strikeouts in an inning of work.
 
Queens returns to the Tuckaseegee Dream Fields on Tuesday, March 3 when the team hosts Erskine College at 2 p.m.