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Box Score 2 GAFFNEY, S.C. – A day after dropping the series opener, the King University baseball team came back to take the middle game of the three game set 9-1 and even the series at Limestone College. However, the Saints came back in the nightcap, scoring six runs over the final three innings, taking the contest 7-4 and the series 2-1.
Limestone (12-24, 8-13 CC) grabbed the lead in the first inning of game one as Chris Scura started the bottom half of the inning with an infield single. He then came around to score on a Kyle Booth double down the right field line, giving the Saints the early lead.
The score remained that way until the Tornado offense exploded in the fourth inning. Braden Cook reached on an error to start the inning before Jose Sola singled to put runners on the corners. Cook then scored on another Saint error, evening the score at one. After Preston Douglas loaded the bases with a walk, Mark Hencken dealt the big blow, a grand slam over the left field fence that put King on top 5-1. J.P. Castaneda restarted the rally with a two-out infield single before stealing second. He later scored on a Josh Stephens single, giving the Tornado (18-19, 11-9 CC) a 6-1 advantage after four.
King added three runs in the top of the seventh, two coming on a Ryan Whitt single up the middle and another on a Douglas single up the middle, stretching the advantage to 9-1. That was all senior pitcher Alex Martin needed as he worked around a walk and single in the seventh to earn the complete game win. He tossed all seven innings, scattering nine hits and allowing just on the one run and striking out eight.
The duo of Hencken and Whitt led the Tornado offense, driving in four and three runs, respectively. Hencken was the only Tornado with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 while Whitt went 1-for-4.
King looked to get out ahead early in the second game, grabbing the lead in the top of the first inning. Stephens started the frame with a single, and later scored on a two-out double by Whitt. However, the Saints answered with a run on a double in the bottom of the frame, evening the score at 1-1 after one.
The Tornado offense didn't quite, however, tallying single runs in three of the next four innings. Ryan O'Neal ripped a leadoff double in the second, and after moving to third on a groundout, he scored on a Castaneda sacrifice fly, putting King back ahead. In the third inning, Cook laced a double to start the frame, and later scored on an error to extend the lead. Finally, Sola led off the fifth inning with a single up the middle and stole second. He moved to third on an infield single before scoring on a fielder's choice to give King a 4-1 lead after five innings.
Nevertheless, the Saint offense warmed up as the game went on, cutting into their deficit with a single run on back-to-back doubles in the sixth inning. Limestone then took the lead in the seventh on a Booth three-run homer run. Logan Conley ripped a home run to start the eighth before the Saints added an insurance run on a squeeze play, stretching their lead to 7-4 going to the ninth.
The Tornado couldn't muster any offense in the ninth, going down in order as the Saints took the contest 7-4. Tyler Raymond got the start on the mound and allowed two runs on seven hits in five and one-thirds innings. Offensively, Cook and Mark Michael each went 2-for-4 at the play with Cook scoring one run to lead the way.
King will be in action again on Monday when they travel to Tusculum College. First pitch from Greeneville, Tenn. is slated for 5:00 p.m.
