FIRST PITCH
Score: NC State 17 | Queens 2
Records: NC State (5-2 overall) | Queens (3-6 overall)
Location: Raleigh, NC (Doak Field at Dail Park)
 
The Short Story: Playing in their second straight midweek game, the Queens University of Charlotte baseball team dropped a 17-2 affair at No. 14 NC State on Wednesday afternoon. The meeting with the nationally ranked Wolfpack was the Royals second game against a D1 Baseball Top 25 opponent.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Queens would strike first in the top of the first inning as Jake Barbour led off the game with a hit-by-pitch. The rookie would swipe second base to get into scoring position with nobody out. A groundout would move Barbour to third before Dillon Lewis brought him home with an RBI groundout.
-The Wolfpack would bounce back in the bottom half as they took advantage of erratic pitching by the Royals. In the inning, the Royals would surrender seven walks, three hits, and a hit-by-pitch as the Wolfpack would take an 8-3 lead.
-After putting down the Royals in order in the second inning, a Brandon Butterworth two-out triple scored NC State's ninth run of the ballgame.
-Following a scoreless third inning, left fielder Dillon Lewis led off the fourth inning with a double down the left field line. A flyout to right field would push the Royals leading hitter to third base with one out before a Zach Weston groundout plated the Royals second run of the game. 
-The Wolfpack would quickly respond with two home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Alec Makarewicz belted a no-doubt home run over the right field fence on the first pitch of the inning. Then, two batters later catcher Drew Lanphere sent one out to left center field to give the Wolfpack an 11-2 lead going into the fifth inning.
-In the fifth, the hosting Wolfpack exploded for six runs to take a commanding 17-2 lead. On the inning, NC State recorded six hits, including Drew Lanphere's second home run in two innings.
-In the final three frames, the Royals offense would threaten to score as they put a runner in scoring position in each inning. However, the Wolfpack bullpen arms would settle in and escape the jams.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-Dillon Lewis extended his hitting streak to six games with his lead-off double in the fourth inning. On the day, the left fielder went 1-for-3 with an RBI as he extended his average to .343.
-Catcher Tyler Cotto and pinch hitter Mason Kelly each recorded hits for the Royals on the afternoon. The single extended Cotto's on-base streak to seven straight games.
-Jake Barbour continued to be efficient at getting on base for Queens as the freshman has reached safely in five straight games. On the afternoon, Barbour demonstrated a great eye at the plate drawing a walk and a hit-by pitch while scoring a run for the Royals.
-The Royals pitching staff struggled with control against the Wolfpack surrendering 11 walks and two hit-by-pitches.
-The Queens offense will look to bounce back against Lehigh this weekend as they mustered only three hits, two runs, and were fanned eight times across nine innings of action.
 
NEXT UP
Queens will return to The Stick this weekend for a three-game series against Lehigh. Friday's game has been moved due to the threat of inclement weather, so the teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday. The first pitch of game one is set for 12:00 p.m. and game two will follow approximately 45 minutes after.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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