Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 TIGERVILLE, S.C. – In a series that was slated to be played in Bristol, the King University baseball team jumped ahead of North Greenville University in game one of Friday's doubleheader. Ryan Whitt drove in seven to lead King to the 14-3 victory before the Crusaders came back to take game two 5-2.
Heath Loyd got the nod for the Tornado on the hill and sent North Greenville down in order to keep game one scoreless after the first inning.
Moises Soto started the second inning off for King (3-9, 1-1 CC) with a single into left field. Next up to the plate was Whitt who registered a home run to left center field, giving King a 2-0 lead. Loyd allowed one hit in the bottom of the inning, but no harm was done as North Greenville grounded into a double play to end the inning, leaving one on base.
The third inning was nothing but impressive for the Tornado as they recorded five runs on four hits. Cook sent a single into left center followed by a Jose Sola single. Derrick Moore ripped a double, scoring Sola and Tyler Raymond. J.P. Castaneda delivered a single into the outfield, scoring Soto, followed by a Whit sacrifice fly, scoring Moore for King's fifth and final run of the inning, extending King's lead to 7-0. Loyd continued to mow down the Crusaders lineup allowing one hit in the bottom of the third striking out the final batter of the inning.
The Tornado light up the socreboard again in the top of the fourth when Cook started the inning off with a single. Sola doubled and came around to score on two sacrifice flies. King recorded two runs on two hits, in the fourth. North Greenville got on the board in the bottom of the inning putting a leadoff double across the plate. After four innings of play, the Tornado led the Crusaders 9-1.
The Tornado added another run in the fifth when Castaneda scored off a Whitt double opening their advantage to nine runs. The Crusaders rallied in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs on three hits to cut their deficit to 10-3.
The seventh would be short and quick for both teams as Andrew Phemister replaced Loyd on the mound for the Tornado. In the eighth, the Tornado opened up the lead. Sola led off with a double and Zak Kitzmiller came in to pinch run and eventually scored. Whitt would double scoring three King runners on the hit. When the inning was over, the Tornado plated four runs, extending their lead to 14-3.
It looked as though King would push across more runs in the ninth, but the Crusaders stranded the bases loaded of Tornado before Phemister sat down the Crusaders in order to end the contest and give King the 14-3 victory.
Loyd earned the win, allowing three runs on eight hits in six innings, and Phemister earned the save. Offensively, Whitt led the way going 3-for-5 and driving in seven runs. Castaneda and Sola also went 3-for-4 and each scored twice for the Tornado.
In the nightcap, the Crusaders (5-6, 1-1 CC) struck first, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. A double scored the first run before North Greenville plated another on an infield single to take the early 2-0 lead.
The score remained the same as both pitchers, Hunter Dilworth for North Greenville and Jose Sola for King settled in. However, the Crusaders added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, the final two coming on a Josh Leopard two-run double, stretching their advantage to 5-0.
The Tornado tried to make a comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning as Soto started a one-out rally. Following an out, Castaneda singled before Whitt ripped a two-run double to get King on the board. However, the Tornado couldn't push across any more runs as North Greenville took the contest 5-2.
Five different Tornado accounted for King's five hits while Whitt drove in two.
The series concludes on Saturday with game three at 12:00 p.m.
