SMITHERS, W.Va. – The King University softball team traveled to take on West Virginia Tech in a nonconference matchup on Tuesday afternoon. The Golden Bears came back to take game one 5-4 behind runs in the seventh and eighth innings. King answered in the nightcap, putting up 10 runs in the fourth inning to take the split with the 13-0 victory.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: West Virginia Tech 5, King 4 (F/8); King 13, West Virginia Tech 0
LOCATION: Terry E. Willis Field; Smithers, W.Va.
RECORDS: King 11-23; West Virginia Tech 13-20

SERIES HIGHLIGHTS

• Olivia Lawson and Morgan Lowe led King offensively in game one, both recording two hits.
• Alliyah Sands drove in a pair in game one for King.
• Six Tornado recorded two hits in game two for the Tornado, including Kay Brokering who drove in three.
• Hayley Smothers drove in three runs as well for the Tornado in game two.
• Jennifer Kern ripped her eighth home run of the year and drove in two.
• Lowe also drove in a pair for King in the nightcap.

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• Kern sparked the King offense in the top of the first inning with a one-out double. Lowe then came up with a two-out, run scoring single to right field before Sands drove in a pair with a double to give King a 3-0 lead.
• West Virginia Tech got on the board when Genna Trippett ripped a home run in the second inning.
• The Golden Bears evened the score in the fourth inning on run scoring hits from Trippett and MaKayla Waugh.
• However, King regained the lead in the top of the fifth on a Lawson Single that scored Hannah Devotied who singled to start the inning.
• The lead remained there until West Virginia Tech got a rally going in the seventh with a leadoff single from Breigh Renner. Following an out she advanced to second on a groundout before scoring on an infield single to even the score at 4-4 and send the game to extra innings.
• The Tornado could not put across a run in the eighth, and the Golden Bears scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the frame on a Tornado miscue to take the contest 5-4.

OF RECORD

Winning Pitcher: Kaitlyn Sisler (1-0) 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
Losing Pitcher: Smothers (6-11) 7.2 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• Both offenses looked to get going early in the second game as the Golden Bears loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning. However, Lauren Smith got a strikeout to end the threat.
• King tried to get on the board in the top of the second inning, but they too left the bases loaded.
• The Tornado finally broke through in the third inning when Smothers drove in a pair and Brokering scored one with a single, giving King a 3-0 lead.
• King broke the game open with 10 runs on eight hits in the fourth inning. Brokering delivered a two-run double and Kern laced a two-run home run to highlight the inning that put King ahead 13-0.
• Smith then had to work around a pair of base runners in the fourth inning, but that was it as the Tornado took the contest 13-0.

OF RECORD

Winning Pitcher: Smith (4-6) 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO
Losing Pitcher: Makenzie Wilson (5-7) 3.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO

FOR THE FOES

•  Trippett led the Golden Bears, going 2-for-4 and drove in two in game one.
• Kayla Harbin also recorded a pair of hits while Waugh also drove in two.

UP NEXT

• The Tornado are back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Lees-McRae College. The Conference Carolinas doubleheader is slated to start at 2:00 p.m.
• West Virginia Tech returns to the diamond on Thursday against West Liberty University.