February 27, 2007

Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

LAURINBURG, N.C.—The Queens University of Charlotte softball team slipped past host St. Andrews Presbyterian College, 5-1 & 4-2, in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference softball doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon.

The Royals, who hold a 4-10 overall record, remained perfect in CVAC play at 4-0 while the Lady Knights fell to 2-12 on the season and 2-4 in the league.

After four scoreless innings, Queens broke through in the opener with an unearned run in the fifth. Freshman Amanda Bowman (Kennersville, N.C.) started the two-out rally with single to left field. Sophomore Noel Belk (Charlotte, N.C.) was hit by a pitch bringing classmate Ricci Coultas (Cave Junction, Ore.) up to plate. Coultas put the ball in play but a throwing error by the SAPC second baseman that allowed Bowman to score from second.

The Royals added four insurance runs in the seventh. Bowman drove in the first run with a triple off the center field fence and then scored on an infield single by Belk. After a Coultas single, sophomore MaryLee Giurintano (Greensboro, N.C.) capped the inning with a two-run single to right.

Freshman Kailee Munden (LaVerne, Calif.) led the Knights offensively going 2-for-2 with two singles. Munden also walked in the seventh and eventually crossed home plate for St. Andrews only run on an RBI-single to right-center by junior Erin Haugen (Fort Mill, S.C.).

Senior starter Lauren Berst (Mooresville, N.C.) earned the win pitching five shutout innings. Belk was credited with a save. Junior Samantha Stewart (Ft. Pierce, Fla.) pitched well for the Knights in the loss allowing just one earned run 6 2/3 innings of work.

The Royals built an early 2-0 lead in the nightcap with a lone run in each of the first two innings. Giurintano started the scoring with a RBI-double in the first while Pfeiffer added an unearned run in the second.

SAPC cut the deficit in half on a junior Ashley Shurtleff (Colton, Calif.) sacrifice fly in the third that plated Haugen, who led off the inning with a single.

Queens built its lead back up to 4-1 with two more unearned runs in the fifth. Freshman Danyell Marquez (Riverside, Calif.) concluded the scoring with a solo home run in the seventh for the Knights. Marquez’ laser blast to left field, her team-high second of the season, trimmed the deficit to two runs but the St. Andrews rally fell short as Falcon junior Shea Chaffee (Boothwyn, Pa.) closed the door on the game with the save.

Marquez and freshman Nicole Easter (Lumberton, N.C.) each had two hits in the finale for the Knights. Freshman starter Lauren James (Bahama, N.C.) had four strikeouts in a solid complete-game showing allowing just four runs (one earned) on five hits.

Freshman starter Megan Campbell (Raleigh, N.C.) picked up the win for Queens with five effective innings.

St. Andrews will host non-conference North Greenville University tomorrow (Wednesday) at 1:00 p.m.