FIRST PITCH
Score: Queens 4 | FGCU 2
Records: Queens (6-35 overall, 4-17 ASUN) | FGCU (18-25 overall, 8-13 ASUN)
Location: Swanson Stadium (Fort Myers, Fla.)
 
The Short Story:
The Queens University of Charlotte baseball team salvaged the weekend series at Florida Gulf Coast with a 4-2 victory behind a quality start from Landry Jurecka. The right-hander tossed 6.0 innings and allowed one earned run on eight hits and struck out seven Eagles.

HOW IT HAPPENED
-Queens jumped on the board quickly as freshman Ryan Brown sent the second pitch of the game over the fence for the early 1-0 lead.
-In the top of the fifth inning, the Royals extended their lead with two runs on two hits. Will Budnick got the inning started with a double to right center before Justin Hudson moved him up 90-feet with a sacrifice bunt. Jay Polite worked a one-out walk putting runners on the corners and Ryan Brown delivered an RBI single through the right side to plate Budnick and advance Polite to third. Jake Barbour capitalized on the opportunity with a sacrifice fly to center field to score Polite and give the Royals a 3-0 advantage.
-Queens capitalized in the top of the sixth inning with a run to increase their lead to 4-0. Lenox Lively led off the frame with a six pitch walk before Anibal Rivera sent a two-strike single into left center. FGCU turned to the bullpen and Tyler Peters moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Will Budnick walked to load the bases, but the Eagles picked up a strikeout to inch closer to escaping the jam. However, after falling behind 0-2, Jay Polite worked a seven pitch walk to score Lively.
-After being held scoreless through five innings, the Eagles plated a run on three hits in the bottom of the sixth. Harrison Povey and Cayden Hessemyer hit back-to-back singles before Jon Embury walked to load the bases. A ground ball to Will Budnick set up a play at the plate and the veteran fired home to cut down the Eagles run. With the bases loaded and two outs, Jaret Nelson beat out an infield single to plate Hessemyer for the first run of the game for the Eagles.
-The following inning, Florida Gulf Coast cut further into the deficit as Evan Dempsey belted a one-out solo home run.

BY THE NUMBERS
-Freshman Ryan Brown extended his on-base streak to nine straight games with his fifth multi-hit game. The Ashland, Kentucky native went 2-for-5 and blasted his second home run of the season. In addition to the offense, Brown threw the final 3.0 frames and struck out two Eagles to pick up his second career save.
-Landry Jurecka continued to dominate tossing 6.0 innings, allowing one run on eight hits while striking out seven Eagles. The right-hander lowered his season ERA to 3.63 with the performance.
-Charlotte native Will Budnick recorded his ninth multi-hit game with a 2-for-3 performance, including his seventh double of the season.
-Anibal Rivera and Tyler Peters rounded out the Royals offense with a hit on the day.
-Florida Gulf Coast sprayed 11 hits on the day as Cayden Hessemyer led the charge with a 3-for-4 day, including two doubles.

NEXT UP
Queens will return to action on Tuesday, April 29^th when the Royals make the short trip to Rock Hill, South Carolina for a showdown at Winthrop. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00PM and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow the baseball program on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with Queens Baseball throughout the offseason. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media @QueensAthletics, to stay up to date with all of the Royals' Athletics.