FIRST PITCH
Score: USC Upstate 8 | Queens 5
Records: USC Upstate (25-13 overall, 10-2 Big South) | Queens (10-26 overall, 6-9 ASUN)
Location: Spartanburg, S.C. (Harley Park)
 
The Short Story: Despite taking a 5-2 lead into the seventh inning, the Queens University of Charlotte baseball team dropped a non-conference tilt at USC Upstate following a late scoring burst from the Spartans.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Queens jumped on the Spartans in the first inning as Dillon Lewis led off the game with a double to right center. Despite the next two batters being retired, junior Nick Alderfer stepped up and sent a clutch two-out RBI single through the left side to bring Lewis around to score.
-The Royals added another run in the top of the third when Matthew Corlew blasted a two-out home run off the scoreboard in left center.
-After being shutout through the first three innings, the Spartans returned the favor in the bottom of the fourth. Following a one-out single up the middle, Koby Kropf sent a hanging 2-1 slider over the left field fence to tie it up 2-2.
-Queens answered immediately in the fifth with a two spot to regain a 4-2 lead. Dillon Lewis roped a one-out single through the left side before swiping second for his 14^th stolen base of the year. Jake Barbour would hammer a 3-2 pitch over the right field fence to give Queens the lead.
-The Royals added another run in the sixth inning when Zach Weston belted a solo home run over the right field fence. The homer was the Royals third two-strike homer of the game.
-USC Upstate capitalized in the seventh inning on four hit batters and two walks to plate six runs. The scoring was capped off with a grand slam from Koby Kropf for his second blast of the game.

BY THE NUMBERS
-Freshman Logan Schmitt made his first collegiate start as a Royal. The right-hander twirled 5.0 innings and allowed just two runs on six hits while striking out three Spartans.
-Dillon Lewis extended his career-long on-base streak to 21 straight games with a 2-for-4 evening. The mark is the longest on-base streak by a Royal in Division 1, and the third longest in program history.
-Fellow junior Nick Alderfer posted his fourth multi-hit game of the season, and second straight with a 2-for-3 night. Alderfer got the scoring started with an RBI single in the first inning.
-Freshman Jake Barbour continued his hot stretch with a 1-for-4 day. The rookie blasted his sixth home run of the season as the Raleigh native has three homers in the last three games.
-Senior Matthew Corlew crushed his fourth home run of the season as a part of a 1-for-4 day. Corlew has knocked a hit in 10 of the last 12 games.
-Veteran Zach Weston blasted his fourth homer of the season in the sixth inning.
-Evan Zapp roped his second extra-base hit of the year with a double in the second inning.
-All three home runs from the Royals came in two strike counts. Queens has blasted 63 on the season, and sits two shy of tying the program's single-season record set back in 2022.
 
NEXT UP
The Royals have wrapped up a nine-game road stretch and will return home this weekend. Queens welcomes Kennesaw State for a three-game series beginning on Friday, April 19^th at 6:00 p.m.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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