FIRST PITCH
Score: Appalachian State 14 | Queens 5
Records: App State (11-4 overall) | Queens (4-13 overall)
Location: Kannapolis, N.C. (Atrium Health Ballpark)
 
The Short Story: In their final game before conference play, the Queens University of Charlotte baseball team fell 14-5 to the Appalachian State Mountaineers inside Atrium Health Ballpark on Tuesday evening.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Royals would threaten in the first two frames putting runners in scoring position. However, a lineout in the first, and strikeout in the second halted the scoring threats for Queens.
-After being put down in order in the first two innings, the Mountaineers started the scoring in the third inning. App State would load the bases with one out following a base hit and two hit batters. The Mountaineers would get all three runners home as a hit from Austin St. Laurent through the left side pushed across two runs, and a fielders choice plated the third for App State.
-In the fourth inning, Zach Weston would smash a leadoff double down the left field line for the Royals. Two batters later, a groundout to short by Will Budnick would get Weston across home plate as the Royals got on the board. 
-Following a scoreless fifth inning, App State would put a runner in scoring position with a walk and a stolen base. The Mountaineers would capitalize on a Queens error to extend their lead to 4-1.
-The Royals would respond immediately in the bottom half of the inning with a run of their own. Dillon Lewis led off the inning with a leadoff single before swiping second base and advancing to third on a passed ball. Zach Weston would push Lewis across on a fielders choice groundout trimming the Mountaineers lead to 4-2.
-App State led off the seventh inning with a leadoff triple by CJ Boyd into center field. After the next batter reached on an error, a sacrifice fly into left field scored Boyd, extending their lead back to three runs.
-After retiring the Royals in the seventh again, App State's offense exploded in the eighth inning for six runs. A hit batter, a walk, and an infield single loaded the bases for the Mountaineers with nobody out. A grounder back up the middle scored the first run for App State before a strikeout stopped the bleeding momentarily for Queens. However, a single and a double in consecutive batters pushed across four more runs for App State before concluding the inning with a RBI single back up the middle.
-The Royals came alive in the eighth inning. Queens began the inning with a single by Dillon Lewis, an RBI-triple by JJ Sousa, and then an RBI single by Zach Weston to score two runs in the bottom half of the eighth inning.
-In the ninth, three free passes from Blake Efird loaded the bases for the Mountaineers again. A sacrifice fly scored the first run of the inning for App State. During the next at-bat, a passed ball plated another run for App State before a one-run double gave the Mountaineers a 14-4 lead.
-The Royals battled in the ninth inning as they loaded the bases on their final out of the game. Keanu Spenser pinch hit for Queens before slapping an RBI-single through the left side to give the Royals their fifth run of the ball game. The Royals threat would be subdued with a groundout to first as App State secured the victory.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-Zach Weston led the Royals offensive attack with a 3-for-4 performance, including a double. With the performance, Weston improved his batting average on the year to .306 as he has recorded a hit in five of the last six games.
-Dillon Lewis had another good performance at the plate going 2-for-4 on the evening. Lewis has recorded a hit in 13-of-17 games this year, including nine multi-hit performances.
-Designated hitter JJ Sousa smashed the second of the Royals two extra base hits with a triple in the eighth inning. Despite missing four games, the senior is tied for second on the team with eight extra-base hits.
-Seven other Royals recorded a hit as Queens totaled 11 hits on the evening. The total marked Queens eighth time exceeding double-digit hits this season.
-The Royals relied heavily on their bullpen as nine different pitchers made an apparence for the Royals. Queens allowed 11 hits, nine walks, while striking out seven batters.
-Freshman Carson Magill got the start on the bump on the Royals. The Atco, New Jersey native was perfect across his 2.0 innings of work. The righty sat down all six Mountaineer batters he faced with two strikeouts.
 
NEXT UP
Queens will return to The Stick this Friday night as they open conference play against North Florida. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN Plus.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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