JACKSONVILLE, Fla.- The Jacksonville softball team fell to the Queens Royals 7-3 in the regular season finale on Saturday.
 
On senior day, seniors Madison Reynolds and Kari Holzrichter both had multi-hit days, and six Dolphins (26-24, 14-10 ASUN) total recorded a hit, but an early burst from the Royals proved to be too much to overcome on the final day of regular season play for the Atlantic Conference.
 
Queens used a three-hit, two walk inning in the first to jump ahead 3-0. Pritchard got the final out on a popup to second, leaving two runners stranded in scoring position. The Royals added a run in the second and third innings to extend their lead to five. In the second, a pair of singles and a wild pitch was the recipe for a run. The third inning, a bases loaded sacrifice fly is what brought home the fifth run.

Jacksonville put up a crooked number in the home half of the third to see the score at 5-2. Gabi Robles and Madison Reynolds led off the frame with a walk and single, respectively, and a well-executed sacrifice bunt from Kailey Harrigan gave JU runners at second and third with one away. Averi Harcus then hit a sacrifice fly to center field, and Kari Holzrichter hit home Reynolds with a base knock to center. The Dolphins loaded the bases in the fifth inning on a Holzrichter single and Kassidy Pontbriant/Alison Carter walks but were unable to bring any runs home.

The very next half-inning, the Royals extended their lead with a two-run blast over the left field fence to see the score go 7-2, Queens. Jacksonville again loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth, this time with nobody out. A strikeout and a pair of groundouts to short saw the Dolphins score once, and the game went to the seventh with the Royals up 7-3.
 
Christa Pritchard started in the circle for the Dolphins and finished with two innings pitched. She surrendered five earned runs and struck out one. Reese Wells relieved Pritchard and finished at 4.2 innings pitched. Wells allowed two runs and struck out two as well. Graduate-student Shelby Harpe entered the circle for the Dolphins final regular season out, and she delivered with a flyout to right field.
 
UP NEXT
The Dolphins claimed the No. 6 seed in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship, which begins on May 7. JU will take on Queens University on Tuesday, with first pitch scheduled for 4 pm.