Box Score FLORENCE, S.C. – Looking to steal a win from Francis Marion, the King University baseball team took the field after falling twice to the Patriots the previous day. King held the lead for most of the game; however, Francis Marion was able to get three across the plate late in the game to sweep the Tornado.
King (1-4) started the finale of the series with Francis Marion on the right note, tallying two runs in the first inning. Heath Loyd got on board in the leadoff spot, ripping a single to center field. Preston Douglas would ground into a fielder's choice before Tyler Raymond delivered a single through the right side, moving Douglas to third base. King then loaded up the bases on a Mark Hencken walk. Forrest Haga stepped up to the plate and sent a single to right field scoring Douglas and Raymond. The top of the first would end there with King tallying two runs on three hits, leaving two on base.
Francis Marion (4-2) would go down in order as Jose Sola got the start for the Tornado. Ryan Whitt singled through the right side, scoring Tyler Bailey after Bailey sent the ball in between short and third for a single. Sola would send the Patriots down in order again in the bottom of the second and after two innings of play, King led 3-0. Nothing would go for either team in the third inning as King went down one, two, three and Francis Marion recorded one hit.
The Tornado opened the lead up in the top of the fourth inning, scoring two more runs. Derrick Moore started the top half of the fourth off with a single then Loyd walked, advancing Moore to second. Douglas reached base on a throwing error and King was awarded with the bases being loaded. Moore scored on a pass ball with Douglas and Loyd both advancing. Whitt posted a sacrifice fly scoring Loyd giving King their second run of the inning. Francis Marion would get on the board in the bottom of the fourth after a single, followed by a double to right center. After four innings of play, King led the Patriots 5-1.
The fifth inning would go by quickly as stellar pitching shut both teams down. Douglas would give King a hit in the top of the sixth but it wouldn't result in anything, moving into the bottom of the inning. Francis Marion would take the lead from the Tornado in the bottom of the sixth after scoring five runs on five hits forcing King to make two pitching changes.
To start the seventh, King got on the board again taking the lead back from the Patriots. Raymond started the inning after being hit by a pitch then advanced to second on a pass ball. Mark Hencken dropped down a sacrifice bunt but it was overthrown scoring Raymond. Later in the inning, Hencken scored on a Joe Ganger sacrifice bunt. Francis Marion would add one hit in the bottom of the seventh before King got out of the inning.
King would come up to the plate in the top of the eighth, looking for some insurance runs but after a leadoff walk, nothing would do for the Tornado. The nightmare happened for King in the bottom of the eighth when the Patriots were able to get three runs across the plate on two hits, taking the lead from the Tornado and gaining a 9-7 advantage. Hencken would triple in the top of the ninth but it would not be enough as Francis Marion recorded three outs and King fell to the Patriots 9-7.
The Tornado recorded 10 hits and Francis Marion registered 11. The Patriots made two errors to King's one. Haga added two hits and two runs batted in for the Tornado. Nathan Helke was handed the loss for the Tornado while Jeremiah Freeman was given the win. Sola finished his day after throwing five innings, recording five strikeouts, giving up four runs, three of which were earned.
King will look to get a win next when they will travel to Carson-Newman University on Tuesday February 10. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 pm in Jefferson City, Tenn.
