Box Score JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Looking to bounce back into the winning column, the King University baseball team traveled to Carson-Newman University to take on the Eagles. The Tornado was able to keep the score tied for the first third of the game but the middle innings would deliver them the loss despite Tyler Raymond's 3-for-4 performance.
King (1-5) was quick to start as Heath Loyd took a one and one count and delivered a single into right field. Loyd advanced to second on a pass ball and allowed Raymond to deliver him home opening the score to 1-0. The top of half of the first inning would end with King scoring one run on two hits, leaving one on base. The Tornado lead would not last long as Carson-Newman (3-2) would jump on Mitch Stophel forcing him to be removed from the game after allowing two runs on two hits, however, Jason Nebrat was able to get King out of the inning and trailed 2-1 after one.
The second inning would be quick for both teams after recording one hit, leaving one on base. King opened the top of the third with two ground outs before Preston Douglas singled to left center. Douglas advanced on a wild pitch before Ryan Whitt singled and advanced Douglas to third base. Raymond would step up to the plate and register his second single of the afternoon and another run batted in, tying the game up at two before the inning would come to an end. In the bottom of the third, Carson-Newman would post one hit, but after three, the game was all tied up at two.
Jose Sola stepped up to the plate in the top of the fourth recording a single but nothing would result in the inning. The Eagles, in the bottom of the fourth, would go down in order bringing us to the fifth. Nothing would go for King and Carson-Newman looked to capitalize in the bottom half. Sure enough, that is what they did scoring two runs on three hits, leaving one on base. King would not be able to get anyone across in the sixth and the Eagles would send one more across the plate in the bottom of the sixth. Another run could have scored, but Whitt came up big, throwing a Carson-Newman runner out at home to end the inning.
The top of the seventh brought the Tornado within one, scoring two in the inning. Douglas led off with a walk followed by a Raymond walk. Forrest Haga stepped up to the plate and sent a double into left center scoring both Douglas and Raymond. The next two batters would go down for King but the Tornado was able to cut the Eagles lead to one. Carson-Newman answered in the bottom of the inning scoring two runs of their own on two hits but the major damage came from two Tornado errors.
King looked to tie up the game in the top of the eighth and ninth but nothing would come across the plate as they fell to Carson-Newman 7-4. The Eagles posted 11 hits to King's 10 while King recorded four errors to the Eagles zero. Taking the loss for the Tornado was Andrew Phemister and the win was handed to Logan Shaftner. Nebrat, in relief, posted four innings pitched, giving up two runs on six hits for the Tornado. Raymond was stellar for the Tornado going 3-for-4 on the day with two runs batted in. Haga also added two runs batted in.
The Tornado will be in action next on Saturday, February 14 when they will host Slippery Rock University. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 followed by the second game of the doubleheader starting approximately 20 minutes after.
