FIRST PITCH
Score: FGCU 4 | Queens 2
Records: FGCU (13-4 overall, 3-0 ASUN) | Queens (4-16 overall, 0-3 ASUN)
Location: Swanson Stadium (Fort Myers, Fla.)
 
THE SHORT STORY
In the finale of the opening ASUN series, the Queens University of Charlotte baseball team fell 4-2 to FGCU at Swanson Stadium in Fort Myers. The Royals rallied to tie the game in the fifth and briefly grabbed the lead in the sixth, but the Eagles answered with a two-run frame and added an insurance homer in the seventh to finish the sweep.

HOW IT HAPPENED
-FGCU struck in the bottom of the first as a pair of wild pitches allowed Jon Embury, who had singled, to come around and score for the Eagles.
- Queens threatened early, putting two runners on in the second and moving a runner into scoring position in the third, but FGCU's starter stranded traffic to keep the Royals off the board.
- The Royals finally broke through in the fifth when Karter Wong ripped a double down the left field line, later scoring on a dropped third strike and subsequent throwing error to pull Queens even at 1-1.
- Queens seized its first lead in the sixth as Grayson Childers belted a solo home run to right-center, putting the Royals in front 2-1.
- FGCU immediately responded in the bottom half of the sixth, stringing together four straight two-out hits, including RBI singles from Embury and Javier Gorostola, to retake the lead at 3-2 while chasing starter Adrian Quezada off the rubber.
- The Eagles extended their advantage in the seventh when Jaret Nelson launched a solo home run to right-center, his sixth of the season, to make it 4-2.
- Queens mounted one last push in the ninth as Thomas Mathay singled to bring the tying run to the plate, but FGCU turned to closer Ashton Pocol, who induced a fielder's choice to end the game.

BY THE NUMBERS
-Grayson Childers paced the Royals going 2-for-4 while notching his second home run of the season.
- Thomas Mathay turned in a strong performance going 2-for-5, reaching for in a crucial opportunity late in the game.
- Karter Wong added an extra-base hit and scored in the fifth, while Anibal Rivera, Hunter Huneycutt, and Charlie Marcantel each recorded a hit to round out Queens' eight-hit effort.
- Adrian Quezada worked 5.2 innings, striking out six while allowing three earned runs on nine hits, before giving way to Jackson Gowan who surrendered just one run over 2.1 innings or relief.
- FGCU was led by Jon Embury's 3-for-5 outing with a double and an RBI, while Jaret Nelson added a 2-for-3 line with a home run.
- Hunter Possehl fanned eight over 5.0 innings of work for FGCU, as Preston Rogers earned the win for the Eagles.

NEXT UP
Queens will be back in action on Wednesday, March 18th for a mid-week match up at Radford at 6:00 p.m. This is the second meeting between the Royals and Highlanders this season.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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