Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BELMONT, N.C. – A day after taking the series opener in a pivotal Conference Carolinas series at Belmont Abbey College, the King University baseball team came back to win game one of Saturday's doubleheader 7-6 to take the series win. However, the Crusaders avoided the sweep by taking the nightcap from King 8-6.
Game one was a see-saw affair, with the Tornado (16-16, 10-7 CC) striking first in the second inning. With a pair of runners on base, J.P. Castaneda cleared the bases with a double, giving King the early 2-0 lead.
However, Belmont Abbey (17-16, 12-9 CC) answered in the bottom of the inning. Nick Nunziato started the inning with a double before Tornado pitcher Alex Martin looked to get out of the inning after back-to-back strikeouts. Nevertheless, Josh Genthe ripped a double and Matt McGary followed with a single to even the score at 2-2 after two innings.
King regained the lead in the fourth inning with a pair of unearned runs before the Crusaders responded in the fifth. Belmont Abbey plated three runs, two unearned to take their first lead of the contest at 5-4 with two innings remaining.
However, the Tornado had an answer as Mark Hencken started the top of the sixth inning with a double to left field. Jake Portugal then reached on an infield single before Castaneda dropped down a bunt that put runners on second and third for Josh Stephens. The sophomore laced a single to center, putting King back on top. Tyler Raymond then ripped a single to right field, and Stephens scored on a fielding error, giving King a 7-5 advantage.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Crusaders tried to answer again as McGary drove in Weston Clarke with a triple, but that was all Belmont Abbey would score as Nathan Helke got the final out of inning. Helke then had to work around an error in the seventh inning, earning his ninth save after getting the final three outs.
Helke came into the weekend ranked second in the country in saves, and earned his ninth of the season, tossing the final two innings for the Tornado. Alex Martin earned the start on the mound and lasted four and two-thirds innings before being relieved by Matt Jackson who earned his second win of the season, tossing one-third of an inning. Portugal scored three runs to lead the King offense while seven Tornado hitters accounted for all seven of their hits.
The Crusaders jumped ahead with three runs in the first inning of game two, and added three more in the third inning to open up a 6-0 lead on the Tornado. King didn't give up, however, as their offense responded in the fourth inning. Preston Douglas registered a single that scored Jose Sola and Moises Soto drove in Douglas with a bunt single to cut the King deficit to 6-2.
Belmont Abbey added one in the fourth inning before the Tornado got that run back in the sixth inning on a Soto single that scored Douglas, making the score 7-3 after six innings.
Raymond then sparked a rally in the seventh with a leadoff single before Sola drove him in with a double. Sola then scored on a wild pitch, cutting the King deficit to 7-5. However, the Crusaders added one in the bottom of the inning, pushing their lead back to three at 8-5.
King threatened in the eight, leaving a pair of runners on base as the Crusaders got the help of a double play to escape the jam. Braden Cook then started the ninth inning with a walk before Sola reached on an infield single before the Crusaders recorded the first out of the frame. Douglas plated Cook, cutting the deficit to 8-6 and putting runners on first and second with one out. After another out, Ryan O'Neal recorded a pinch hit single to load the bases. Belmont Abbey the made a pitching change that proved to be timely as Brandon O'Sullivan induced a groundout to end the threat and give the Crusaders the 8-6 win.
Sola went 3-for-5 with two runs scored to lead the offense while Ryan Whitt, Douglas and Soto all registered two hits for the Tornado.
King will be in action again on Wednesday when they host Lincoln Memorial University at 3:00 p.m. on the campus of King University.
