Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University softball team returned to Conference Carolinas play with a pair of resounding victories over Belmont Abbey College on Saturday. The Tornado scored in nearly every inning in game one, taking the contest 13-6. King then got a stellar pitching performance from Hayley Smothers to take game two 9-2.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: King 13, Belmont Abbey 6; King 9, Belmont Abbey 2
LOCATION: King Softball Field; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 19-13, 5-1 Conference Carolinas; Belmont Abbey 6-18-2, 4-6 Conference Carolinas
SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
- Candace Maness had a solid day, going 4-for-5 with a pair of walks and she was hit by a pitch twice. She also scored six runs and drove in three.
- From the leadoff spot, Hannah Devotie scored six runs as well, going 3-for-6 on the day with one walk. She scored five runs, going 3-for-4 in game one.
- Kay Brokering drove in five runs on the day with a pair of doubles and Hannah Riddle drove in four and scored four runs.
- Jennifer Kern laced her third home run of the season in game one.
HOW IT HAPPENED GAME ONE
- Brianna Embler sparked the Belmont Abbey offense with a single in the first inning before scoring on a Peyton Wilson single.
- However, that was all the Crusaders got as Emma Hughes stranded a pair of Belmont Abbey runners.
- Devotie started the bottom of the inning with a walk and stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Following a Maness hit by pitch, Riddle drove in Devotie with a single to even the score.
- Brokering followed with a double down the left field line, scoring Maness and giving King a 2-1 lead.
- The Crusaders regained the lead in the second inning, scoring one on a Vienna Benavides double and another on a ground to take a 3-2 advantage.
- Nevertheless, King answered, scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning. Maness evened the score with a single and Riddle put King on top with a single to center.
- Michaela Morris drove in one on a groundball and Kern made it a 6-3 King lead when she drew a bases loaded walk.
- Brokering stretched the King lead to 8-3 in the third inning when she laced a two-out double off the base of the fence to score Maness and Devotie.
- The Crusaders cut the Tornado lead to 8-6 with three runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by a two-out, two-run single from Melissa Neyhouse.
- King put the game out of reach in the fifth inning with four runs. The frame was highlighted by a two-run home run from Kern, giving King a 12-6 lead.
- The Tornado added an insurance run in the sixth inning and pitcher Raven Allender made it standup as King took the contest 13-6.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Hughes (11-3) 5.0 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO
Losing Pitcher: Annabeth Watkins (2-3) 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO
HOW IT HAPPENED GAME TWO
- It was King that struck first in the nightcap as Maness was again hit by a pitch in the first inning.
- Riddle followed with a triple to put King on top. She later scored on a Crusader miscue, giving King a 2-0 lead.
- The Tornado stretched their lead to 6-0 with four runs in the second inning. Maness highlighted the inning with a two-run single through the left side. She later scored on a Brokering single to right center.
- In the fourth inning, Riddle extended the lead to 7-0 when she ripped a single to center that score Summer Hayes.
- Belmont Abbey took advantage of a pair of Tornado miscues in the fifth inning, cutting their deficit to 7-2.
- However, King got those runs back in the sixth inning when Kaycee Casteel laced a two-run double down the left field line, giving the Tornado a 9-2 advantage.
- Smothers worked around a walk and a hit in the seventh inning, and the Tornado turned a double play to end the game and give King the 9-2 victory.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Smothers (5-4) 7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO
Losing Pitcher: Peyton Wilson (1-6) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Embler led the way for the Crusaders with four hits, including going 2-for-2 in game two. She also scored a pair of runs.
- Neyhouse also record four hits on the day and drove three runs.
UP NEXT
- King was scheduled to take on ninth-ranked Pfeiffer University on Sunday, but the Conference Carolinas doubleheader has been postponed due to weather. A makeup date has not been announced.
- The Tornado remain at home to face Southern Wesleyan University at 2:00 p.m. on Friday and North Greenville University at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
- Belmont Abbey travels to Emmanuel College and Erskine College on Friday and Saturday.
