CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Queens University of Charlotte baseball team (7-6, 1-0 SAC) opened South Atlantic Conference play with a convincing 9-3 victory over Tusculum University (7-5, 0-1 SAC) in the first of a three-game series at Tuckaseegee Dream Fields. The victory gives the Royals their second straight win this season as they pick up the conference opener for just the second time in program history.
 
Eight Royals recorded a hit on the day, including a multi-hit performance from Riley Cheek for the second straight game. Nick Melton continued to stay hot on the season extending his hitting streak to 11 games. Christian Maggio and Carter Foster knocked home runs on the day for the Royals. The highlight of the afternoon came on the bump as Royals starting pitcher, Nick Charleson, was stellar on the mound for Queens. The senior tossed seven innings while surrendering three runs, but only one earned on three hits with five strikeouts.
 
After a scoreless first inning, the Royals would strike first in the bottom half of the second, as they would score two runs. After the first batter of the inning flew out to center filed, Nick Brassington responded with a single and a Christian Maggio walk put runners on first and second with one out. After a ground out to the pitcher advanced both runners up a base, Alex Sexton delivered a two-out single into left field scoring both Maggio and Brassington to give the Royals a 2-0 lead.
 
Both ball clubs would go scoreless in the third, as they were locked into a pitcher's duel. The Royals retired the Pioneers in order in the top of the fourth and Christian Maggio blasted his first home run over the right-field fence, to give the Royals a 3-0 lead heading into the fifth inning.
 
However, the Pioneers would quickly respond in the fifth inning. After a fielding error, a walk, and a hit by pitch, the Pioneers load the bases with one out. They followed that up with another walk, that scored them their first run of the game. The following at-bat, Tusculum got ahold of one but was robbed at the left-field wall by Nick Brassington, as he limited it to a sacrifice fly. A ground out followed as the Royals escaped the inning, still leading 3-2 over the Pioneers. Brassington's highlight play was the second spectacular play on the evening after Carter Foster robbed a home run in the first inning.
 
In the bottom half of the fifth, Carter Foster smacked a double to center to put a runner on second with one out. Riley Cheek would follow it up with an RBI single to right field, scoring Foster, as he would advance to second on the throw home. The Royals would not let up, however, as on the very next at bat Garrett Evans smashed a home run over the left-field wall, as the Royals extended their lead to 6-2 heading into the sixth inning.
 
The Pioneers would continue to inch their way back into the game, as they belted a no-doubt home run over the right field fence to trim the Royals lead. They would put the Royals down in order, as the Royals led the Pioneers, 6-3, heading into the seventh inning. The Royals would retire the Pioneers in the seventh, before scoring two more runs in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Nick Melton led off the inning with an infield single and a Carter Foster hit-by-pitch put runners on first and second with nobody out. Riley Cheek would follow that up with a single to left field, that scored Melton. Cheek would advance to second on the throwing error, as Foster moved to second. After two consecutive Royals were retired, a throwing error by the Pioneers scored Foster as the Royals led the Pioneers 8-3 heading into the eighth.
 
The Royals would record six consecutive outs in the eighth and ninth innings and add a run via a sacrifice fly by Nick Alderfer to score Mason Pickard in the bottom of the eighth to beat the Pioneers 9-3 in the opening game of the three-game series.
 
The Royals return to action tomorrow for a double-header to finish the three-game set against the Pioneers. The first pitch for game one is at 12pm and game two has an estimated start time of 3pm. The first game will be a seven inning contest before a full nine inning game in game two. Both games will be broadcast on the Queens Sports Network. Be sure to follow the baseball program on Twitter and Instagram. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media @QueensAthletics, to stay up to date with all of Royals Athletics.