Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – The King University baseball team took the field despite the weather, playing against Barton College at Fox Creek High School in a Conference Carolinas three game series. King was quick to start in game one, scoring 17 runs, to earn the win in first game of the series. Game two did not go King's way as they fell 3-2 and look to win the series on Sunday.
To start the three game series off, King (5-10, 3-2 CC) tallied zero in the first inning and Barton took an early 1-0 lead off Jose Sola in the bottom of the inning by way of homerun. The second inning would be a long one as the Tornado tallied seven runs on seven hits. Cody Rogers and Braden Cook both tallied runs batted in followed by a Sola double, scoring two. Moises Soto delivered with a two run batted in single before Ryan Whitt reached on an error for the final run of the inning. Barton added a run in the bottom of the second and after two innings; King led Barton 7-2.
King did not stop the scoring there as they posted six more runs in the top half of the third. Raymond delivered a run batted in while Soto stepped up to the plate and delivered two more runs batted in. Heath Loyd singled through the right side scoring the final run of the inning. Nothing would go for the Bulldogs in the bottom of the third and after three innings of play, King led 13-2.
The fourth inning would go the same way for King as they registered four more runs on four hits. Tyler Raymond delivered a single, scoring two followed by a Soto and Whitt runs batted in to finish the scoring of the inning. Sola would allow one hit in the bottom of the fourth as we headed into the fifth inning. Neither team plated anyone in the fifth and moving into the sixth inning, the Tornado led the Bulldogs 17-2.
The Tornado would tally one hit in the top of the sixth and Barton (8-6) would post two but nothing would go for either team as the game moved to the final inning of game one. The same result would happened and King won game one 17-2. Earning the win on the mound for the Tornado was Sola and the loss was handed to Kyle Rufer. Soto led the Tornado with five runs batted in while Raymond posted three runs batted in. King recorded 18 hits in the contest.
Game two of the three game series did not go the same way for King scoring zero runs in the first inning. Loyd got the nod for the Tornado shutting down Barton in the bottom half of the first. King would get on the board when J.P. Castaneda scored Whitt on a groundout. Barton would not be able to plate anyone in the bottom of the second as King led 1-0 after two innings.
The third inning would fly by as both team's combined for one hit. The Tornado added another in the top of the fourth when Preston Moore doubled to right center scoring Soto on the hit. The inning would end there for King as they opened their lead to 2-0. Loyd would continue to mow down the Bulldogs lineup and after four innings of play, Kind held a 2-0 lead over Barton.
King would have a quick sixth inning and Barton would do the same heading into the seventh inning. The Tornado went down in order in the top of the inning and Barton would tie the game up at two, forcing Andrew Phemister to replace Loyd on the mound. The Tornado would have another quick inning in the top of the eighth and Barton capitalized in the bottom of the inning scoring an unearned run on two Tornado errors.
The Tornado would step up to the plate in the top of the ninth but a Barton pitching change sent the lineup down in order, handing Barton game two of the series, 3-2. Taking the loss for the Tornado was Phemister while Warren earned the win for the Bulldogs. Loyd recorded 6.1 innings pitched, allowing two earned runs. Whitt went 2-for-3, leading the Tornado in the hit column.
The finale of the series will be played on Sunday, March 1 at Fox Trail High School in North Augusta, S.C. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 pm.
