CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Queens University of Charlotte (26-19, 14-7 SAC) baseball team blasted the No. 22 Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (38-9, 15-6 SAC) in dominating fashion, 18-5, in their final regular season game at Tuckaseegee Dream Fields this season. The Royals bats were on fire, plating 18 runs on 17 hits, including 10 runs in the eighth inning. The 18 runs are the second highest scoring output from the Royals explosive offense after they previously scored 19 against Erskine on Feb. 9. The victory marks the Royals fourth win over a Top 25 opponent on the year.
Coming off a game in which the Royals tied the single game program record with five home runs against Anderson, the Royals laced four more on the day against the Bears.
MJ Sasapan led the Royals with a 3-for-4 day, including two home runs and five RBIs.
Riley Cheek and
Nick Brassington also launched home runs on the day for the Royals.
Mason Pickard and
Nick Brassington each had two doubles on the day, while
Riley Cheek added one of his own making it four Royals with multiple extra-base hits on the day.
Nick Charleson (7-7) picked up the win for Queens, throwing five complete innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one earned run on two hits with three strikeouts.
The visiting Bears got the scoring started early, as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first. Two consecutive doubles plated the first run, while an RBI single scored the second run of the inning. The Royals would respond in the second as
MJ Sasapan crushed his first home run of the day.
Tanner Jacobson would reach on a walk before Sasapan cracked a 2-1 pitch over the right field wall to tie the game 2-2.
In the fourth, the Bears responded right back with a two-run home run of their own. They would tack on another run in the fifth, on a two-out home run to extend their lead to 5-2. After three consecutive innings with no runs, the Royals would get back on the board again in the sixth.
With two outs,
Tanner Jacobson would start the rally with a single. Two pitches later,
MJ Sasapan belted the second of his two-run home runs, cutting the deficit to 5-4. The home run was Sasapan's fifth of the season. The Royals would put the Bears down in order in the seventh, before taking the lead with a four run seventh inning.
Riley Cheek led off the inning with a home run over the left field fence, knotting the game at 5-5. The home run was Cheek's 10
th blast of the season as the senior has five home runs in his last three games. A double, a walk, a fielder's choice and another walk loaded the bases with two outs following a strikeout. Senior
Mason Pickard would step up and clear the bases with a three-run double, giving the Royals their first lead of the game 8-5. Pickard has now recorded multi-hit performances in seven of the last eight games.
The Royals would once again set down the Bears in order, before scoring a season-high 10 runs in one inning to take a commanding 18-5 lead into the ninth. The Royals were impressively clutch in the inning, scoring nine runs with two outs.
Tanner Jacobson led off the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
MJ Sasapan would get his fifth RBI on a single and
Mason Pickard would follow it up with another RBI single.
Nick Melton got an RBI on a bases-loaded walk and
Riley Cheek plated two with a two-RBI single.
Nick Brassington would cap off the inning, with a three-run home run that he launched over the left field fence. The home run was Brassington's team-leading 14
th of the season as the senior is tied for second in the league in home runs.
Nick Charleson would put the Bears down in order in the ninth, as the Royals picked up a convincing 18-5 midweek win over the No. 22 ranked Bears.
The Royals will return to the diamond tomorrow night against #3/6 North Greenville University, for a neutral site game in Gastonia, N.C. at Caromont Health Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Be sure to follow the baseball program on Twitter @Queens_Baseball. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media @QueensAthletics, to stay up to date with all of Royals' Athletics.
