Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University kept the momentum going from Saturday when they hosted Southern Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon. The Tornado got a pair of solid pitching performances from Morgan Lowe and Lauren Smith to take the sweep 5-2 and 2-0.
Coming off of a three-hit performance on Saturday, Lowe continued to throw zeroes up on the scoreboard, holding the Warriors (21-19, 9-7 CC) scoreless through six innings. On the day, the junior allowed a pair of unearned runs, both coming in the seventh while scattering seven hits in the victory.
Amanda Sports got the offense going in the second inning with a one out double off the left field fence and Diamond Callwood wasted no time driving her in, taking the second pitch she saw to right field for a base hit. Callwood stole second and moved to third on an infield single before scoring a throwing error as Southern Wesleyan tried to pick her off third base as King (15-21, 9-5 CC) took a 2-0 lead.
Chrissy Melcher stretched the Tornado lead to 3-0 with her seventh home run of the season, a solo shot down the left field line.
The Warriors had their best scoring chance in the fourth inning, loading the bases with only one out. However, Lowe was up to the task, inducing a groundball where King cut down on run at the plate. Lowe then got another groundout to end the frame with the bases loaded to keep King ahead 3-0.
In the fifth inning, Chrissy Melcher reached on an error with two outs, and Hannah Smith drove her in with a double. Sports stretched the King lead to 5-0 with her fifth home run of the year to lead off the sixth inning.
Southern Wesleyan scored a pair of runs in the seventh inning, but Lowe finished the contest, giving King the 5-2 victory.
Sports led the offense, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored while driving in one while Melcher scored twice and drove in one.
Lauren Smith picked up right where Lowe left off as she sat down the Warriors in order in the top of the first inning of game two. However, she only had one more three-up, three-down inning, and that was in the third as she scattered seven hits on the day.
Southern Wesleyan's best chance to score came in the fourth inning when they loaded the bases with one out. However, Lauren Smith induced a groundball and Hannah Smith came home to get the out at the plate. She then got another groundout to end the frame with the bases loaded.
The Tornado offense gave her the support she needed in the bottom of the fourth inning as Sports tripled to center field and scored on a Melcher sacrifice fly. Hannah Smith then followed with her sixth home run of the year, giving King a 2-0 lead.
The Warriors threatened to score again in the sixth, but the King defense cut down another run at the plate as Southern Wesleyan tried to score a runner from first on a double to left field. Lauren Smith worked around a two-out single in the seventh to complete her first career shutout.
Sports again led the offense, going 3-for-3 with one run scored while Smith and Callwood accounted for King's other two hits.
King will be in action on Thursday when they travel to take on Erskine College. First pitch from Due West, S.C. is slated for 3:00 p.m.
