Box Score MISENHEIMER, N.C. – The King University returned to Conference Carolinas action at Pfeiffer University on Friday afternoon. The Falcons grabbed the lead in the first inning before putting the contest out of reach with three runs in the eighth inning, taking the contest 7-2.
The second batter of the bottom of the first inning, Anthony Allende ripped a run scoring double after a leadoff walk, giving Pfeiffer (11-8, 4-2 CC) the lead. Tornado pitcher Heath Loyd then retired the next three batters to get out of the frame.
The Falcons then added another run in the third, but it could have been worse as Loyd induced a ground ball to leave the bases loaded and escape further damage. The Tornado (5-11, 3-3 CC) then answered in the top of the fourth as Tyler Raymond sparked a one-out rally. Following an out and infield single, Preston Douglas rolled a single up the middle that scored Raymond and cut the King deficit to 2-1.
Pfeiffer added another run on an infield single in the fifth before King bounced back in the top of the sixth. Jose Sola was hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved to second on a ground out before scoring on a Ryan Whitt single through the left side. However, King couldn't push any more runs across, leave two runners stranded.
In the sixth, the Falcons stretched their lead back to two at 4-2, scoring a run a balk, but stranding two. The score remained the same until the eighth inning when Tanner Mathis led off the inning with a home run. Later in the inning, Cody McKenzie laced a two-run home run to center field, stretching the Falcon lead to 7-2 after eight.
Whitt doubled in the ninth inning, but was stranded on third as King fell to the Falcons 7-2 in the series opener.
Whitt paced the offense, going 4-for-4 with one run batted in while Douglas went 2-for-4 and drove in the other run. Loyd lasted five and one-thirds innings and struck out five in the loss.
The series concludes on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m. in Misenheimer.
