Box Score FIRST PITCH
Score: FGCU 7 | Queens 1
Records: FGCU (13-20 overall, 5-8 ASUN) | Queens (4-27 overall, 2-11 ASUN)
Location: The Stick (Charlotte, N.C.)
 
The Short Story:
Despite 6.2 solid innings of relief from Adrian Quezada, the Queens University of Charlotte baseball team dropped the series opener against Florida Gulf Coast on Friday night. Quezada allowed four earned runs on nine hits while matching his season-high with seven strikeouts.

HOW IT HAPPENED
-Florida Gulf Coast jumped on the Royals in the top of the first inning as Jake McKee worked an eight pitch at-bat to lead off the game before depositing a solo home run over the fence in left center. Following consecutive ground outs, the Eagles would go to work with two outs as Mac Moise laced a single up the middle. Evan Dempsey followed that up with a single through the right side to put runners on the corners before an error from the Royals extended the inning and plated another Eagles run.
-Queens answered right back in the bottom of the first inning as Caleb Stewart opened the frame with a double down the right field line. Sophomore Jake Barbour stepped in and ripped a single down the right field line advancing Stewart to third. The Eagles would pick up a strikeout, but Will Budnick stepped in and smoked an RBI single up the middle to cut the deficit in half. FGCU would escape the inning without further damage with a 6-4-3 double play.
-The visiting Eagles extended their lead in the top of the third inning with two runs on three hits. Mac Moise worked a one-out walk and advanced to third on a single to left from Evan Dempsey. With the Eagles offense in business, Cayden Hessemyer dropped down a bunt to score bring home Moise. With two down, Jon Embury ripped an RBI single into left field to extend the Eagles lead to 4-1.
-FGCU maintained their offensive momentum in the fourth inning as Jake McKee led off the frame with a single to right center. Harrison Povey followed that up with a two-run shot down the right field line to give the Eagles a 6-1 lead.
-In the top of the seventh inning, the Eagles manufactured their seventh run of the game following a hit-by-pitch to lead off the inning. Evan Dempsey wasted no time swiping second and advancing to third on a throwing error. Cayden Hessemyer capitalized on the Queens error with a sacrifice fly to left field to extend the Eagles lead to 7-1.

BY THE NUMBERS
-Senior Caleb Stewart turned in his fifth multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 night, including his seventh extra-base hit of the year with a double in the first inning.
-Charlotte native Will Budnick extended his season-long hitting streak to five straight games with a 1-for-4 night at the plate, including his 16^th RBI of the season.
-Jake Barbour returned to the Royals lineup and knocked a base hit. The Raleigh, North Carolina native has turned in a hit in 24-of-30 games this season.
-Freshman catcher Lenox Lively extended his on-base streak to six straight games, matching his season-long with a 1-for-2 night at the plate.
-Anibal Rivera, Justin Hudson, and Jacob Grimes rounded out the Royals offense with a hit.
-Boulder, Colorado native Jack Brooker made his 15^th appearance of the season and tossed a clean inning with a strikeout.
-Florida Gulf Coast rattled 13 hits on the night as Evan Dempsey led the charge with a 4-for-4 game.
-Chris Diaz was dialed in for FGCU, throwing 7.0 innings, allowing one run on six hits while fanning 10 Royals.

NEXT UP
Queens and Florida Gulf Coast will return to action on Saturday, April 12^th at 2:00 p.m. from The Stick. Fans can catch all the action on ESPN Plus.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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