FIRST PITCH
Score: Stetson 9 | Queens 3
Records: Stetson (33-18 overall, 17-9 ASUN) | Queens (12-39 overall, 8-18 ASUN)
Location: Charlotte, N.C. (The Stick)
 
The Short Story: Despite a career-best performance from senior Isaiah Bennett, the Queens University of Charlotte baseball team dropped game two of the weekend series with Stetson.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Queens jumped on the Hatters in the bottom of the third inning. Nick Alderfer led off the ining with a single to right field before swiping second. Will Budnick would follow it up with a single before stealing second as well. The Hatters would pick up a strikeout, but Jake Barbour brought home the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center field.
-After being held scoreless through four frames, the visitors broke through in the fifth with three runs on two hits. The Hatters used a pair of extra-base hits to grab the lead.
-Queens cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the sixth with a run. After loading the bases, Tyler Cotto worked a one-out walk to plate Jake Barbour. With the bases still juiced, the Hatters escaped the jam with back-to-back strikeouts to preserve the lead.
-Stetson would tack on a run in the top of the eighth inning as Brandon Hylton delivered a one-out RBI double to center field. The Hatters threatened again when Kyle Jones singled to right field, but Matthew Corlew threw a dart to Tyler Cotto at the plate to cut down another Hatters run.
-The visitors opened the game up in the ninth inning with five runs on five hits. The scoring was capped off with an RBI double by Evan Griffis.
-Queens got one back in the bottom of the ninth after Tyler Peters led off the inning with a double. Peters would steal third and eventually score on a ground out, but the Hatters exchanged the run for a double play. The visitors would pick up a strikeout to end the game and clinch the weekend series.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-Senior Zach Weston extended his hitting streak to five straight games with a 2-for-4 day, including his 10^th double.
-Rookie Jake Barbour notched his 13^th multi-hit game with a 2-for-3 day. The Raleigh native added a run and an RBI to his line.
-Dillon Lewis, Nick Alderfer, Will Budnick, and Tyler Peters added hits for the Royals. Alderfer has knocked a hit in seven of the last nine games while Budnick got his second hit of the weekend series.
-Right-handed pitcher Isaiah Bennett earned his second start of the season. The senior twirled a career-high 5.1 innings while allowing three runs and striking out three Hatters.
-Senior Joseph Rodriguez broke the single-season program record for appearances. The Virginia Beach native made his 26^th appearance of the year and tossed 2.2 innings.

NEXT UP
Queens and Stetson will wrap up the weekend series tomorrow, May 12^th at 1:00 p.m. The afternoon tilt will mark the Royals last home game of the 2024 season. Admission is free, and the game will be streamed on ESPN Plus.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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