CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Queens University of Charlotte softball team split the doubleheader showdown with the Jacksonville Dolphins in the final doubleheader of the regular season on Friday, May 3, taking game one by a shutout score of 1-0 and eventually falling to a 3-1 score in game two.

With the split doubleheader, Queens has now been locked in as the seven seed in next week's Atlantic Sun Championship. The Royals will play in the opening matchup of the tournament on Tuesday, May 7. Opponent still to be determined following conference play on Saturday.

FIRST PITCH
Score: Queens 1, Jacksonville 0 | Queens 1, Jacksonville 3
Records:  Queens (27-24, 11-12 ASUN) | Jacksonville (26-23, 14-9 ASUN)
Location: Jacksonville, Fla. (Pruitt Softball Complex)

GAME 1 - QUEENS 1, JACKSONVILLE 0

• Each team went down in order in the first inning, before each getting one base runner in the second. For the Royals, Brooke Piper reached by a walk, and Jacksonville had a leadoff single by Kari Holzrichter. Both runners were left stranded.
• Over the next three innings, Queens' Autumn Courtney did not allow a Dolphin baserunner. Courtney retired 12 consecutive batters and 15 of the first 16 hosts at the plate in the game.
• During that stretch, the Royals only had two base runners. Kayla Smith reached by walk in the fourth and Haley Hmiel did the same in the fifth. Neither were able to get past second base.
• The road team was able to get on the board in the top of the sixth. Ashlyn Mickler got the bats started with a one-out single, which was the first hit of the day for Queens. Then, Smith drove her fellow senior middle infielder home with a triple, to go ahead 1-0.
• Jacksonville's Dacie Watterson tried to stir up the home team's bats with a single to lead off the bottom of the sixth, which was only the second hit and second baserunner of the game for the Dolphins. Watterson then stole second and reached third on a Courtney wild pitch. She would not be able to tie the game though, as the sophomore hurler struck out back-to-back batters and got the final one of the inning to fly out to end the sixth.
• The Royals were not able to gain any insurance for the ace as they went down in order in the top of the seventh, so they remained ahead 1-0. Jacksonville's final chance to rally began with Holzrichter reaching base a second time due to an error. Then, Aliso Carter doubled to put runners at second and third with two outs. Kassidy Pointbriant then earned a walk to load the bases. Watterson, who had one of the team's three hits, was not able to tie or win the game as she flew out to left field.

GAME 2 - QUEENS 1, JACKSONVILLE 3

• In the nightcap, Staley picked up her second double of the day in the first inning to put the Royals on the board early. They held the lead up until the third inning when the Dolphins whipped up their own RBI double from Kailey Harrigan to even the score up at 1-1.
• Abby Craver would get the nod for game two and go two and two-thirds innings and snagging two strikeouts.
• After another inning scoreless from the two squads, Jacksonville bats came alive in the fifth with a two-run single up the middle from Kassidy Pointbriant to push the Dolphins to a 3-1 lead that would hold to the final out.
• Jordan Dunn snagged a strikeout in three and-a-third innings in relief, but eventually tallied the loss.

BALLPARK BULLETS

• The only Royal hits in game one were the two in the top of the sixth by Mickler and Smith, which led to the lone run.
• The go-ahead triple in the sixth inning in game one by Kayla Smith was her third triple of the season and the fifth of the senior's career. That number has her in the top ten in Queens program history.
• Autumn Courtney struck out seven Dolphin batters in game one, which puts her at 245 on the season. That mark is one better than Fairleigh-Dickinson's Brooklyn Schroyer (244) for the most strikeouts in Division I this season in the final weekend of the regular season.

UP NEXT
Up next, the Royals will stay in Jacksonville to face the Dolphins in the series finale starting on May 4 at 1 PM ET.

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.