ANDERSON, S.C. — King University opened its 2026 baseball season on Tuesday with a challenging road doubleheader at Anderson University, falling 10–0 in Game One and 1–0 in a tightly contested Game Two. While the Tornado were unable to break through offensively, the pitching staff delivered a strong response in the second game, and several players produced encouraging early-season performances.
GAME ONE:
Trojans Strike Early and Often
After a scoreless first inning, Anderson grabbed control in the second with back-to-back RBI swings from
B. Bullard and
B. Harrison, taking a 2–0 lead. The Trojans added two more in the third on an RBI double from
B. Mauro and a sacrifice fly by
D. Bello, stretching the margin to 4–0.
The fourth inning brought another surge, highlighted by:
- An RBI single from L. Medford
- A two-run double from G. Wells
Anderson capped its scoring with a three-run sixth inning, including a solo homer from Medford and two additional RBI swings that pushed the lead to 10–0.
King's Offense Shows Small Sparks
The Tornado recorded four hits in the opener, led by:
King put runners aboard in multiple innings but couldn't find the timely hit needed to cut into the deficit.
Pitching Notes
Anderson starter
C. Costa earned the win with five shutout innings and five strikeouts.
GAME TWO:
A Single Run Decides It
Game Two flipped the script entirely, turning into a low-scoring pitcher's duel. The only run of the game came in the second inning when
D. Bello singled to center, scoring
M. Denton.
From that point on, both pitching staffs dominated.
King's Staff Shines in the Bounce-Back Effort
Rohde Kirkland (L, 0–1) delivered a strong season debut, allowing just two hits and one run over 3.1 innings while inducing five groundouts.
RJ Freiholtz followed with 2.2 excellent innings, giving up only one hit and striking out one.
Together, the duo held Anderson to just
three hits — a major turnaround from Game One.
Comes Up Just Short
King managed two hits in the nightcap:
Jose Ruiz added a stolen base, and the Tornado turned
two double plays, keeping the game within reach throughout.
However, Anderson's pitching tandem of
C. Davis and
K. Owens combined for eight strikeouts and allowed only three baserunners after the third inning.
Doubleheader Offensive Leaders for King
Up Next
King now turns its attention to a three-game non-conference series against UVA-Wise. The Tornado and Cavaliers open the set on Saturday, Feb. 7, with a doubleheader scheduled for 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. The series will conclude with a single game on Sunday as King looks to break into the win column and build on the strong pitching performance shown in Game Two.
