HARTSVILLE, S.C. - The Queens University of Charlotte baseball team (21-15, 13-5 South Atlantic Conference) split their doubleheader with Coker University (13-23, 8-7 SAC) in Hartsville, S.C. on Saturday afternoon. The Royals stay red hot, as they are winners of six of their last seven ball games. With the split, they take the season series over Coker and are winners of three consecutive conference series. The day was highlighted by Nick Brassington as the senior set the single season home run record with his 11th blast and broke the career record with his 12th.
 
Game 1: Queens 5, Coker 8
In game one of the doubleheader, the Royals fell to the Cobras snapping their five-game winning streak. Carter Foster led the Royals on the day, going 4-for-5 with a double. Will Budnick slapped two doubles on the day and went 3-for-5 overall. Nick Brassington would smash his ninth home run of the year, in game one of the doubleheader. Riley Cheek would mail in a pair of hits on the day as well, while Nick Melton also had a base hit.
 
Both the Royals and Cobras would get their offenses going early, as each club put up two runs in the first inning. Two walks would put runners on first and second with one out for the Royals. After a passed ball, put both in scoring position. Dillon Lewis would ground into a fielder's choice scoring one run. A wild pitch would score another run for the Royals.
 
Two consecutive singles following a one-out double, scored two runs for the Cobras, as the score was knotted at two after the first frame. After two scoreless frames, the Cobras would play small ball following a lead-off single to put a runner on third with two outs. A single through the right side, gave the Cobras the lead heading into the fifth.
 
Nick Brassington would even the score 3-3, as he smashed a home run over the left-field fence in the top of the fifth. The Cobras would respond, however, pushing four across in their half of the inning as they took a 7-3 lead into the sixth.
 
The Royals would trim the deficit to 7-4 in the seventh. A walk and an error by the Cobras put runners on the corners with one out for the Royals. A single by Carter Foster scored Garrett Evans on the play.
 
In the eighth, Nick Brassington would get a sac fly following a lead-off double by Riley Cheek. The Cobras would respond with a key insurance run in the top of the eight, with a one-out home run to give them an 8-5 lead heading into the ninth.
 
The Royals would threaten in the ninth, after a one-out double by Will Budnick put a runner in scoring position for the Royals. However, the next two batters would be put down in order as the Royals dropped game one of the doubleheader, 8-5.
 
Game 2: Queens 12, Coker 5
The Royals bounced back in game two, totaling an impressive 17 hits in the game. Nick Brassington was electric for the Royals, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, bringing his total to 11 on the year, and six RBIs. Matt Riley went an impressive 4-for-5, while Dillon Lewis went 3-for-4 with one RBI. Garrett Evans, MJ Sasapan and Riley Cheek each had a pair of hits on the day. Tanner Jacobson picked up the win on the mound for the Royals, throwing 6 complete innings, allowing just four hits, two runs, and striking out 11 Cobra batters.
 
The Royals jumped out to an early lead, scoring four runs in the first inning. Two straight one-out singles and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with one out. Back-to-back singles by Dillon Lewis and Garrett Evans scored both runners. MJ Sasapan made it three straight singles, as Lewis scored on the fielding error. The Royals would scratch across their fourth run of the inning on a wild pitch.
 
In the second, the Royals would score three runs on the first of Nick Brassington's two home runs. After a lead-off walk and a single, Brassington belted the ball over the left center field fence, giving the Royals a 7-0 lead.
 
Queens would conjure up a two-out rally in the third, starting with a Riley Cheek double. Cheek would steal third and then score on the throwing error by the catcher. Matt Riley would hit one back up the middle, before Nick Brassington hit his second home run in as many innings over the left field fence, giving the Royals a 10-0 lead.
 
The Cobras would add a run in the bottom of the third on a two-out home run to left center. After two scoreless innings for both teams, both the Cobras and the Royals would add a run in the sixth. Julian Bailey picked up an RBI single, after Dillon Lewis's leadoff single. The Cobras would get an RBI single to trim the Royals lead to 11-2, heading to the final frame.
 
With runners on the corners with one out, Nick Brassington picked up his sixth RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly, scoring Mason Pickard. The Cobras would conjure up a rally in their final at-bat, as a single and a home run cut the lead to 12-4. A flyout, a hit-by-pitch and a single put runners on the corners with one out. An error by the Royals scratched across one more for the Cobras before consecutive flyouts got the Royals the series victory, with a 12-5 victory over the Cobras.
 
The Royals return to action, this Tuesday afternoon for a matchup with crosstown rival No. 2 Wingate Bulldogs, at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis, N.C., the home of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. The first pitch is slated for 6:00 p.m.
 
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