Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 WINGATE, N.C. – The King University softball team continued their road swing with a pair of contests at Wingate University. The Tornado fell behind early in game one, falling to the Bulldogs 6-2, but tried to rebound in the nightcap. Wingate scored in each of the final three innings to take game two 8-5.
Chrissy Melcher belted her sixth home run of the year to give King the early 1-0 lead after the top of the first inning of game one.
However, Wingate (20-14) answered with a run a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning before tallying four runs in the second frame. Taylor Laskey ripped a grand slam in the second inning for Wingate, giving the Bulldogs a 5-1 advantage.
The Tornado (9-19) had at least one base runner in every inning except the sixth inning, but couldn't push any runs across. The Bulldogs tallied an insurance run in the sixth before King got on the board again in the seventh. With two runners on, Kelsie Craighead laced a single that scored Amber Palmer, but that was the only run King scored, falling 6-2.
Melcher paced the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run in the game while Craighead dove in the other run. Morgan Lowe tossed all seven innings in the circle allowing six runs on 11 hits.
King tried to gain the lead in the first inning of game two, registering four hits in the first frame, however the Bulldogs cut down a run at the plate to end the frame and keep the game scoreless. Wingate then answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the first to take the lead.
Kelsey Nave then started the second inning for King with a single up the middle before Samantha Cole ripped a two-out single. Stephanie Rodriguez ripped a two-run double to left center, putting the Tornado on top. Nevertheless, Wingate evened the score at 2-2 with a run on an infield single in the bottom of the inning.
It didn't take King long to respond with Melcher drawing a leadoff walk and Hannah Smith lacing a double to bring her in. Smith later scored on a Palmer double, giving King a 4-2 lead. The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, but the Tornado cut down a run at the plate, and King pitcher Lauren Smith induced a groundball to get out of the jam.
Melcher extended the King lead to 5-2 with a sacrifice fly that score Cole who walked earlier in the fourth inning. However, Wingate answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, evening the contest at 5-5. The Bulldogs got a pair of run scoring singles and a sacrifice fly to even the score.
Wingate then grabbed the lead in the fifth inning on a two-run home run from Mellena Helms. They tacked on insurance run in the sixth while Bulldog pitcher Stacey Houser didn't allow a king hit over the final three innings, giving Wingate the 8-5 win.
The Tornado registered nine hits in the contest, and Rodriguez was the only Tornado to record more than one hit, going 2-for-4 with two runs driven in from the leadoff spot. Smith lasted five and two-thirds innings, allowing eight runs, six earned on 12 hits.
King returns home on Friday when they host Coker College on Friday. First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m.
