WINGATE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte baseball team opened South Atlantic Conference play on Saturday afternoon dropping a doubleheader to No. 34 Wingate University 6-3 and 13-5, from Ron Christopher Stadium.
 
Game One: No. 34 Wingate 6, Queens 3 (Seven inn.)
 
In the opener of the four-game series, Wingate scored first with a run in the home half of the first inning before Queens responded with two runs in the top of the second as Mason Pickard scored on a Wingate fielding error and Chris Brady drove in a run with an RBI double.
 
Wingate quickly regained the lead with two runs of its own in the second inning and remained in front until the Royals tied the score at 3-all in the fourth with an RBI single from Noah Jones. The Bulldogs answered once again with a run in the home half to go ahead by a 4-3 score and added two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth to put the game away.
 
Queens starter Tanner Jacobson (0-1) took the loss after giving up four runs (two earned) on four hits with five walks and three strikeouts in four innings of work. Left-handers Jordan Briones and Caleb Staley finished the game, combining for two innings of relief out of the bullpen.
 
Offensively, Pickard was 2-for-2 with a double and two runs scored, while Riley Cheek was 2-for-3 with a double of his own. Brady and Jones collected the only RBIs of the game for Queens.
 
Game Two: No. 34 Wingate 13, Queens 5
 
After Queens scored the opening run of the second game with an RBI from Zach Weston, Wingate built a two-run lead with two runs in the first and another in the fourth.
 
The Royals' offense opened up in the seventh inning, scoring four runs on just two hits while drawing three walks to take a 5-3 lead. Cheek recorded an RBI single in the inning followed by a wild pitch that scored Weston from third. Nick Brassington entered the game as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded and delivered an RBI single, scoring two.
 
In the bottom half of the seventh, however, Wingate plated six runs on four hits, including two solo home runs, and taking advantage of three free passes from the Queens pitching staff to regain the lead by a 9-5 score. A four-run eighth inning pushed the Bulldog lead to an eight-run margin as the Royals went down in order to close out the game.
 
Zach Kelly held the Wingate offense in check and did not factor in the decision, allowing three runs on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work. Reliever Chris Ragosta (0-1) suffered the loss, giving up three runs on just one hit with two walks in 1/3 of an inning.
 
Cheek was once again 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. Brassington was 1-for-1 with two RBI in his reserve role and Weston had an RBI of his own. Drake Harris was 1-for-2 reaching base twice via walks.
 
The Royals and Bulldogs conclude the conference series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.