JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The King University baseball team opened their season with a pair of tight contests at regional rival Carson-Newman University. The Tornado dropped game one 3-1 before falling late in game two 4-2.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Carson-Newman 3, King 1; Carson-Newman 4, King 2
LOCATION: Silver Diamond; Jefferson City, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 0-2; Carson-Newman 2-0
SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- Truman Roper started the day with a single up the middle before a Joe Uribe hit to the pitcher put two Tornado runners on with two outs.
- An error moved the runners to second and third, but they were stranded there.
- Carson-Newman loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, but Ray Berry got out of the jam with a groundout.
- Carson-Newman took a 1-0 lead with a two-out double from Trey Miller that scored Spencer Williams and put runners on second and third.
- Berry then got a strikeout to end the inning.
- A pair of Carson-Newman errors led to two King baserunners with no outs in the third inning.
- Starrs came up with a single to score one and even the score, but the Eagles got the final three outs to end the frame.
- Carson-Newman regained the lead with a double from Williams in the third inning.
- Berry then got back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
- James Denten extended the Eagle lead to 3-1 with a home run.
- The Tornado had a rally going in the eighth inning as Uribe was hit by a pitch before a Nathan Borchardt single.
- A walk later loaded the bases with one out, but following a pitching change, Carson-Newman got back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
- King got a baserunner in the ninth, but that was it as Carson-Newman took the contest 3-1.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Noah Pridemore (1-0) 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Losing Pitcher: Ray Berry (0-1) 3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- Each team posted baserunners in the second inning, but neither was able to score.
- King broke through in the third inning when Starrs ripped a two-out home run to center field.
- Carson-Newman evened the score as they manufactured a run in the bottom of the inning with a walk, sacrifice bunt and single before a double play ended the inning.
- The Tornado regained the lead in the fifth following a one-out double from Conner Hyatt and a two-out single from Chad Evans.
- Carson-Newman again responded with a run in the bottom of the inning as they started the frame with a single, walk and sacrifice bunt.
- A groundout then evened the score at 2-2.
- A two-out Carson-Newman rally was started with a walk before back-to-back hit by pitches loaded the bases.
- An error allowed two runs to score before King got the final out trailing 4-2.
- The Tornado went down in order in the seventh as Carson-Newman took the contest 4-2.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Grif Hughes (1-0) 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Losing Pitcher: Caleb Green (0-1) 0.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Williams led the way with three hits and one run batted in.
- Denten added two hits and drove in three.
UP NEXT
- Ther series concludes on Sunday as first pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Jefferson City, Tenn.
