DAHLONEGA, Ga.- In their first NCAA post-season trip since 2006 the Queens Royals (26-25) were matched up with No. 1 North Georgia College and State University (44-3). The Royals gave up one run in each of the first two innings and fell to the host school 2-0.
Queens earned the trip to the NCAA Southeast Regional by capturing the Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship on April 19.
The game, originally set fort 7:30pm, started at 9pm due to a rain delay in the first game of the day, Wingate vs. Augusta State.
The Royals are familiar with close games as before tonight, Queens had lost 18 of their 24 losses by one or two runs.
Queens was in a tight spot to start the game with North Georgia loading the bases quickly with two hits and a walk. The Royals threw Kasey Knight at home to keep the game even. The Saints drove in a run on the next play to go up 1-0 with two down. Alisha Waldrop (McDonough, GA , Luella ) and Kari Kmetic (Milwaukie, Ore., Putnam) connected on the next play to end the inning, leaving three on for the Saints.
Megan Campbell (Raleigh, N.C., Athens Drive ) reached after being hit by a pitch, but was picked off at first while Audra Littlejohn (Riverside, Calif., Centennial ) was batting. Queens was retired without getting anyone else on base.
North Georgia’s Kayla Martin, hit her third home run of the season to give the Saints a 2-0 lead in the second.
Queens slowed the Saints and found some momentum of their own.
Mary Lee Giurintano (Greensboro, N.C. , Glenn ) led off in the fourth, connecting down the left field line and stretching the play to a double. Amanda Bowman (Kernersville, N.C,, Glenn) advanced Giurintano with a sac bunt and Kmetic reached first on a walk. With the tying runs on base, Saints pitcher Sarah Phillips struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
In the last three defensive innings for the Royals, Queens limited the team to two hits. In the first half of the contest North Georgia connected on six pitches. Overall North Georgia had eight hits while Queens connected on two.
Chantel Dodge (Shalimar, Fla., Choctawatchee) struck out four batters with 118 pitches, 88 of which were strikes. Phillps threw 106 pitches with 70 strikes for 10 strike outs.
Queens now faces Wingate (33-15-1) at 5pm on Saturday, May 9 at 5pm in an elimination game. Wingate, who beat the Royals twice earlier this season, lost to Augusta State (33-19) 8-0 in five innings.