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Box Score 2 BRISTOL, Tenn. – Playing their third doubleheader in as many days, the King University softball team took a come-from-behind win in the first game of a doubleheader against Newberry College before the Wolves returned the favor in the nightcap. King scored three runs in the sixth inning to take game one 5-2 while Newberry plated three runs in the seventh inning of game two for the 6-4 win.
The Wolves (14-11) plated the first run of game one in the first inning before Amanda Sports evened the score at 1-1 with her second home run of the season, a laser to center field. The score remained the same until Hannah Smith sparked a two-out rally in the fourth with a double to left center. Chrissy Melcher followed with a single through the right side that scored pinch runner Samantha Cole, giving King (3-9) the lead. However, the Wolves evened the score in the top of the fifth with a run scoring double by Maude McCourry.
Sports led off the King half of the sixth inning with a single to left center and was sacrificed to second by Amber Walker. Smith then came up and belted a two-run home run to left field, giving the Tornado a 4-2 lead. Melcher followed with a single and was sacrificed to second before Tori McComas gave King an insurance run with a single up the middle that scored Melcher. The Wolves threatened in the seventh, but King pitcher Morgan Lowe stranded runners on the corners to earn her third win of the year, 5-2.
Lowe tossed all seven innings, allowing two runs, one earned while scattering 11 hits. Sports went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Smith went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in. Melcher added two hits, driving in one and scoring once.
Newberry struck first again in the game two, this time on a Jeri Loffler two-run home run to left field. Stephanie Rodriguez answered in the bottom of the first as she ripped a triple to right field, and scored on a throwing error, cutting the King deficit to 2-1 after one. King evened the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the second as Melcher scored on a throwing error.
The Tornado grabbed their first lead of the game in the fifth as Kelsie Craighead started the frame with a double to left center. She advanced to third on a Sports single, and scored on a Smith fielder's choice, giving King a 3-2 lead.
Newberry answered in the sixth, scoring a run on a squeeze play, but Hollyn Franklin stranded a pair of runners to keep the game even.
King looked regain the lead in the bottom of the sixth as Diamond Callwood started the inning with a bunt single and stole second. She moved to third on a flyout to right field before scoring on a Rodriguez sacrifice fly to left center. Craighead followed with a single, and Sports walked to load the bases, but the Tornado couldn't push any more runs across, holding a 4-3 lead going to the seventh.
In the final inning, Newberry got a leadoff single and walk before a McCourry double evened the score and put runners on second and third with no outs. Franklin then got a strikeout, but Allison Van Atta singled to right center, scoring both runners, giving Newberry the lead. Franklin induced a groundout to end the inning. The King offense couldn't muster another comeback in the bottom of the inning as the Wolves took the split with the 6-4 win.
Franklin struck out seven Wolves in seven innings, allowing six runs on eight hits. Craighead and Callwood paced the King offense with two hits apiece.
King will be in action again on Friday when they travel to Emmanuel College. First pitch is slated for 4:00 p.m. in Franklin Springs, Ga.
