Box Score BELMONT, N.C. – In a key Conference Carolinas matchup, the King University baseball team rode their offense to a victory over Belmont Abbey College in the series opener. The Tornado scored in all but two innings, defeating the Crusaders 22-8 on Friday afternoon.
The Crusaders (16-15, 11-8 CC) grabbed the lead with a two-out run in the bottom of the first, but then the Tornado offense woke up in a big way. King (15-15, 9-6 CC) plated eight runs in the top of the second inning, taking a lead they would not relinquish. Preston Douglas started the onslaught with his a first career home run, a two-run shot, putting the Tornado ahead. Josh Stephens later drove in two with a single, and Jose Sola laced a two-run double that put King ahead 6-0 before Ryan Whitt and Douglas capped the eight run inning with a run scoring out and an RBI single.
J.P. Castaneda started the third inning with a double and was sacrificed to third before he scored on a Tyler Raymond sacrifice fly. Sola later drove in Braden Cook who reached on an error, stretch the King lead to 10-1 after three innings. After going scoreless in the fourth inning, the Tornado plated a pair in the fifth and tacked on another in the sixth on a Jake Portugal run scoring single.
King added two more in the seventh as Douglas drove in Sola with a double and Mark Hencken ripped a sacrifice fly that scored Whitt to make the score 17-2. The Crusaders plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh before Forrest Haga ripped is first career home run, a two-run round tripper to left field.
After Belmont Abbey scored a pair in the eighth, Mark Michael laced the third pitch of the ninth inning over the left field fence for his first career home run. King went on to score four more runs in the frame to take a 22-5 lead. Belmont Abbey scored three in the bottom of the inning, but King took the contest 22-8.
Of the 16 batters that had a plate appearance for the Tornado, 14 registered hits, led by Castaneda's 4-for-5 day. The freshman also scored four runs while Douglas and Sola both drove in four for the Tornado. Douglas went 3-for-5 while Sola went 2-for-5. Portugal and Stephens also recorded multiple hit games with Portugal going 3-for-6 and Stephens going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs driven in. Heath Loyd earned the win on the mount, allowing three runs on seven hits in seven innings while striking out five.
The 22 runs scored marks the third time since becoming NCAA Division II members the Tornado have recorded at least 20 runs in a game, and marks an NCAA program best set in 2012. King also registered 23 hits in the contest, marking the fourth time since becoming NCAA Division II members. The Tornado registered 24 hits in 2012 against Mars Hill University.
The series concludes on Saturday with a doubleheader that is slated to start at 12:00 p.m. in Belmont, N.C.
