Box Score HICKORY, N.C. – The King University baseball team made their final nonconference game of the season a memorable one on Tuesday at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Zak Kitzmiller evened the tally with a two-out single in the ninth inning before Josh Stephens gave King the 8-7 lead in the 12th. Grant Boyd made that stand up as the Tornado took the road victory.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: King 8, Lenoir-Rhyne 7 (F/12)
LOCATION: LR Baseball Field; Hickory, N.C.
RECORDS: King 16-29; Lenoir-Rhyne 29-17
TIME OF GAME: 4:15
King Starting Lineup
1. Preston Douglas – DH
2. Nicolas Keister – RF
3. Ryan Whitt – LF
4. Ryan Sattz – 1B
5. Austin Dayton – 3B
6. J.P. Castaneda – 2B
7. Zak Kitzmiller – CF
8. Moises Soto – C
9. Joe Ganger – SS
Starting Pitcher: RHP Mark Michael
Lenoir-Rhyne Starting Lineup
1. Ryan Perkins – 2B
2. Justin Dean – RF
3. Colby Dishmond – 1B
4. Matthew De La Rosa – SS
5. Will Thompson – DH
6. Marcus Shoemaker - LF
7. Garrett Vaughn - C
8. Tripp Hamrick – 3B
9. Grant Fuller CF
Starting Pitcher: LHP Hunter Martin
KING HIGHLIGHTS
- King recorded 20 hits in a game for the third time this season, highlighted by five players with three hits each.
- Sligh went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in and two runs scored.
- Castaneda and Douglas also added three hits.
- Kitzmiller and Stephens came up with timely hits for the Tornado and both head three knocks apiece in the contest. Kitzmiller evened the game with a two-out single in the ninth and Stephens put King ahead with a single in the 12th.
- Sligh and Whitt both hit home runs in the contest.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Tornado didn't waste any time getting on the board, scoring two runs in the top of the first. Sligh ripped a home run to center field, plating two runs to put King on top.
- Whitt stretched the lead to 3-0 when he laced a home run to right field to start the third inning.
- Lenoir-Rhyne evened the score at 3-3 on a Dishmond triple in the bottom of the inning, and De La Rose the hit a two-run home run, giving the Bears a 5-3 advantage.
- King pulled within one in the fifth when Dayton drove in Sligh with a double down the left field line. Dayton then evened the score at 5-5 when he scored as Castaneda got in a rundown between first and second.
- However, the Bears answered with a pair of runs to regain the lead in the bottom of the inning. Dean drove in one with a single and Perkins later scored on a wild pitch to give Lenoir-Rhyne a 7-5 lead.
- Dayton started a two-out rally in the seventh inning with a double, and Castaneda followed with single, pulling King back within one.
- The score remained the same until the ninth inning when Sligh started a rally with a leadoff single. Brandon Barbour then pinch ran for Sligh and advanced to second on a passed ball.
- Barbour reached third on a fly out, and with two outs, Kitzmiller rolled a single up the middle that scored Barbour and evened the score at 7-7.
- Boyd sat the Bears down in order in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game to extra innings.
- The score remained the same until the 12th inning when Ganger drew a leadoff walk. After he advanced to second on a wild pitch, Stephens singled to right center, scoring Ganger and giving King an 8-7 lead.
- Boyd got the first two outs before a walk started a Bear rally in the bottom of the 12th. De La Rosa followed with a double to put runners on second and third.
- However, Boyd got the final out, giving King the 8-7 win and earning his third victory of the season.
FOR THE FOES
- Hamrick led the Bears with three hits, going 3-for-5 with a triple and one run scored.
- Perkins, De La Rosa and Fuller all added two hits while De La Rosa and Dishmond drove in two apiece.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Boyd (3-3) 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO
Losing Pitcher: Brett Fulk (2-1) 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO
UP NEXT
- The Tornado close the season on Friday and Saturday at Southern Wesleyan University. The first game of the series is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Friday and the series concludes with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
- Lenoir-Rhyne takes on Winston-Salem State University on Wednesday.
