HARTSVILLE, S.C. - The Queens University of Charlotte baseball team (20-14, 12-4 SAC) defeated Coker University, 7-3, in game one of the three-game weekend series in Hartsville, S.C. on Friday night. With the win, the Royals have their season-best, five-game winning streak while also reaching the 20-win mark with 16 games left on the schedule.
 
Dillon Lewis and MJ Sasapan led the Royals as each recorded three hits. Nick Melton was clutch for the Royals, smashing his first home run of the year in the eighth inning to give the Royals a three run lead. Nick Charleson picked up the win for the Royals, pitching 6.1 innings, allowing three earned runs with five strikeouts. The performance is the seniors seventh outing this season of more than 5.0 innings of work. Daniel Bagwell picked up the save for the Royals, throwing 2.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing just three hits with 6 strikeouts.
 
For the third straight game, the Royals managed to plate a run in the first inning. With runners on first and second with one out, Dillon Lewis hit an RBI single up the middle to score the first run of the game. The Cobras would respond in their half of the first, with a lead-off home run to center field.
 
In the fourth inning, with runners on first and second with two outs, Tanner Jacobson would get an RBI single giving the Royals a 2-1 lead. Neither team would score in the fifth, as the Royals maintained their 2-1 advantage heading into the sixth.
 
Garrett Evans would slap a one-out double into right-center, before a throwing error by the Cobras would score him. Queens would put the Cobras down in order in the bottom half of the inning, taking a 3-1 lead into the seventh. With a runner on third and two outs in the seventh, Dillon Lewis would come up clutch again for the Royals, smacking a single up the middle for an RBI to give the Royals a 4-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
 
Coker would add cut the lead to 4-3 in their half of the seventh on a two-RBI single. However, in the eighth, Nick Melton would belt a two-run home run over the left center field fence, giving the Royals a 6-3 lead. Coker would threaten in the bottom half of the eighth, putting runners on first and second with one out. However, two consecutive strikeouts by Daniel Bagwell shut the door on the Cobras. The Royals would add a key insurance run in the ninth, on a MJ Sasapan RBI single to give the Royals a 7-3 lead.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Coker would threaten once again, as with two outs they used an error, an infield single and a stolen base to put runners on second and third on their final out. However, Daniel Bagwell would close the door on the Cobras striking the batter out looking, as the Royals secured the series opener 7-3.

Queens returns to action tomorrow afternoon for a doubleheader with Coker in Hartsville, S.C. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., with the second game to follow. 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.