WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Queens University of Charlotte softball team constructed two shutouts in two 3-0 scores over North Dakota State and DePaul in their final day of the UNC Wilmington Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 10.
 

GAME 1 - QUEENS 3, NDSU 0
Queens answered the early morning wake-up call against the Summit League fourth-ranked Bison in the first inning, as Haley Hmiel put the bats into gear and smashed an RBI single to right center to get the Royals on the board.

Autumn Courtney wasted no time out in the circle in the bottom of the inning, striking out the leadoff NDSU batter, forcing a foul out, and whipping up another K to retire the side.

Queens found another run in the top of the second inning as Madison Cantoni doubled to left center and Ashlyn Mickler smashed a single to the same side to bring Cantoni home.

Queens' defense paired with Courtney's efficiency in the circle kept the Bison at bay in the bottom of the third. Despite an error from the Royals, the squad bounced back and found a way out of the jam - leaving two Bison on base.

In the top of the fourth, the Royals kicked things off with a single to center field from rookie Brooke Piper. A sacrifice bunt from Makala Strickland advanced Piper, and a double from Kaylee DeJesus drove in another run to put their lead at 3-0.

Jordan Dunn would come into the circle for Queens and would keep the domination on track, whipping up a strikeout against her first batter faced. Dunn would silence NDSU, allowing only one hit in the bottom of the seventh to help secure the 3-0 Queens triumph.

GAME TWO, QUEENS 3, DePAUL 0
In their matchup against DePaul, the Blue Demons were quiet on the bases with Queens' Courtney starting in the circle for the second time of the day. The Royals managed to get on base six times in the first three innings but struggled to convert them into runs until the bats erupted in the bottom of the fifth.

A leadoff single to left from veteran Kayla Smith got her on base, while a steal to second and an error on the catcher's throw would put Smith on third. Lindsey DeRoeck would put down a solid bunt to bring Smith home to give the Royals a 1-0 lead.

The scoring continued for the Royals as an RBI single from Hmiel and an RBI single from Abby Craver would carve up a 3-0 advantage for Queens going into the sixth.

Despite efforts from the Blue Demons to get on the board, the Royals would hold onto the 3-0 victory.
 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Courtney snagged two wins in the circle, while Dunn tallied a save in Game 1 after finishing out the Bison in the final three innings.
• Cantoni went 2-3 against the Bison with two doubles to lead the Royals' offense.
• Today, the Royals' opponents combined for a total four hits (NDSU 1, DePaul 3).
• The Royals tabbed 14 hits on the day.

REMARKS FROM COACH GOINS
"It's a great feeling to know that we are able to shut teams out this early in the season," Queens Head Coach Kella Goins said. "Our pitching staff and defense are a really huge part of our success. We will use this to motivate us going into a huge weekend next weekend."

UP NEXT
Up next, The Royals are back in the Queen City for the UNC Charlotte Tournament as they face off with Boston U on Feb. 16 starting at 11 AM.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow the Royals softball team on Instagram and Twitter/X to stay up to date on all the latest news surrounding the team. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics to stay updated on all the Royals sports teams in action by searching @QueensAthletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.