FIRST PITCH
Score: Queens 11 | Duke 7
Records: Queens (14-33, 9-15 | Duke (23-25, 9-15 ACC)
Location: Jacob Coombs Field (Durham, N.C.)
THE SHORT STORY
Queens University of Charlotte picked up its first Tuesday win of the season with an 11-7 victory on the road over Duke University tonight. The win is the Royals' second this season over a Power Four team and the first over an ACC team in program history.
HOW IT HAPPENED
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Grayson Childers put Queens on the board early in the top of the first when he connected for his ninth home run of the season to make it 1-0.
- Duke answered in the bottom half of the first with a two-run home run to take a 2-1 lead, and then in the second added another run on a solo home run to go up 3-1.
- Queens loaded the bases in the top of the third with two outs and cut the lead to one as
Hunter Huneycutt scored when a pitch hit
Bradley Brown. The inning continued when
Lenox Lively hit a routine ground ball to first, but the Duke pitcher covert first could not catch the throw from the first baseman, allowing Childers to score and tie the game at three.
- The Blue Devils retook the lead in their half of the third to take a 5-3 lead off a deep home run to left field.
- Queens, in the top of the fifth, plated a pair of runs off two hit by pitches to tie the game at 5-5, but Duke used another home run to retake the lead in the bottom of the fifth, 6-5.
- Down one headed to the top of the sixth, Childers walked and then advanced to third when
Anibal Rivera singled through the right side. Rivera later stole third following a Blue Devils pitching change. A wild pitch allowed Childers to score to tie the game and send Rivera to third, all with no outs. Following a pop-up to the shortstop, Brown reached first on a fielding error by the right fielder. The error allowed Rivera to score and put Queens up 7-6.
Justin Hudson added some insurance when he belted a two-run shot on the first pitch he saw to make it 9-6 before the inning ended.
- Duke once again connected for another home run to cut the lead to 9-7 in the bottom of the sixth.
- With two down in the top of the ninth,
Karter Wong singled to shallow right and then scored when Childers belted his 10
th home run of the season and second of the game to put Queens up 11-7.
- The Blue Devils, in their half of the ninth, were able to get two on, but back-to-back outs ended the game.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Both teams combined for eight home runs (Queens: 3; Duke: 5).
- The Royals' 34 home runs this season is the fifth best in the program after topping last year's total of 33 home runs for the season.
- Childers is the first Queens player to hit two home runs in a game this season and has three in his last two games. His 10 home runs are tied for the sixth-most home runs in a single season at Queens and ninth for career. Childers' two hit by pitches are tied for second in a single game, while his two home runs are tied for third.
- Reliever
Avery Booker's 6.2 innings are a career-high. He allowed two runs on six hits to earn the win (2-1).
- Reaching base seven times as a team on hit by pitches is the third most all-time in a Queens single game, and most in the Division I era.
- Childers finished the game going 2-for-3 with three RBIs, four runs scored, and two home runs. Teammate Rivera was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Hudson was 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
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Karter Wong and Huneycutt each had a run scored and a hit, while Brown was 1-for- 2 with an RBI and a run scored.
NEXT UP
Queens is home this weekend when it hosts the University of North Florida for a three-game ASUN series.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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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.
