FIRST PITCH
Score: Queens 4 | Jacksonville 1
Records: Queens (5-17 overall, 1-4 ASUN) | Jacksonville (11-12 overall, 2-3 ASUN)
Location: The Stick (Charlotte, N.C.)
 
THE SHORT STORY
Looking to even the three-game weekend series, the Queens University of Charlotte baseball team put together a complete effort and took down Jacksonville 4-1 at The Stick on Saturday night. Charlotte native Joey Ruller twirled another gem, allowing one run on four hits across 7.1 innings while striking out nine Dolphins.

HOW IT HAPPENED
-Jacksonville jumped on the board quickly with a run on two hits in the top of the first inning. Cade Walter led off the inning by wearing a 1-2 pitch before Archer Ogbourne singled to right center to put runners on the corners. Roger Vergara capitalized with a sacrifice fly to plate Walter. Queens starter Joey Ruller settled in and escaped the jam without further damage.
-Queens answered right back in the bottom of the first inning with three runs on four hits. Following a leadoff walk from Grayson Childers and a single from Hunter Huneycutt, Lenox Lively stepped in an belted a 1-1 pitch over the right field fence for a three-run homer to put the Royals ahead 3-1.
-After being held in check offensively for five straight frames, Grayson Childers broke the streak, opening the seventh inning with a home run to left field to extend the Royals lead to 4-1.
-Trailing 4-1 in the top of the eighth inning, Jacksonville threatened by loading the bases with one out. Jake Hendrick turned to rookie Jake Young out of the bullpen, and the freshman stepped up picking up a strikeout and a pop out to strand the bases loaded and escape the jam.
-The Dolphins continued to fight as Sam Grunberg sent a one-out double to left field in the top of the ninth. Logan Barrata followed with a seven pitch walk to bring up the tying run. Young stepped up again and picked up a double play to close the game and secure the 4-1 victory for Queens.

BY THE NUMBERS
-The 7.1 innings from Joey Ruller marked his fourth outing this season, and second straight where he completed 7.0 innings of work. The nine strikeouts from Ruller were a career-high for the southpaw.
-Grayson Childers paced the Royals offense with a 2-for-3 night, including a home run and a double while working a pair of walks.
-Anibal Rivera recorded his third multi-hit performance of the season with a 2-for-3 evening, including a triple.
-Seven other Royals added a hit on the night, including Hunter Huneycutt, Lenox Lively, Mitchell Basterrechea, Karter Wong, Jacob Grimes, Matthew Suppa, and Dylan Schaefer. Every Royals batter finished the night with a hit.
-Freshman Jake Young picked up his second save of the season, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings.
-Lenox Lively blasted his first home run of the season to drive in a team-high three RBI for the Royals.
-The Royals pitching staff only surrendered five hits on the night which tied for the third fewest hits by an opponent this season.

NEXT UP
Queens and Jacksonville will take the field in the series rubber match tomorrow, March 22^nd at 12:00 p.m. from The Stick.
wrap up the three-game weekend series on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. from The Stick.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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