Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University softball team kicked off a busy week with a nonconference doubleheader against Lincoln Memorial University on Wednesday afternoon. The Railsplitters used big innings late in each contest to take the sweep 7-2 and 5-2.
King (11-21) threatened to take the lead in the first inning, putting runner's two runners on, the Railsplitters got out of the inning. Lincoln Memorial (16-18) got a leadoff double from Meredith Johnson in the top of the second. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, she score on a Jennifer Moose single, giving the Railsplitters the lead.
Lincoln Memorial manufactured another run in the third following an Emilee Solomon leadoff double. She was sacrifice to third and scored on a sacrifice fly to put Lincoln Memorial up 2-0.
Kelsie Craighead started a rally for King in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff bunt single. She then was sacrificed to third by Stephanie Rodriguez, before scoring a Chrissy Melcher infield single, cutting the King deficit in half.
However, the Railsplitters opened the game up in the fifth inning when the plated five runs on three hits. Megan Tice had the big blow, a three-run home run to center field as Lincoln Memorial took a 7-1 advantage.
Hannah Smith tried to get the offense going again for King in the sixth when she laced her fifth home run of the season to star the frame. King then put a pair of runners on, but couldn't push any more runs across.
Rodriguez and Sports started the seventh inning with back-to-back singles, getting the offense going. King then scored a run on a passed ball before Diamond Callwood drove in another, bringing the tying run to the plate with two outs. However, Lincoln Memorial got out of the inning to take the 7-4 victory.
Morgan Lowe tossed all seven innings in the circle for King, allowing seven runs, six unearned on nine hits while striking out six. Callwood led the King offense with two hits and drove in one.
Amber Walker got the King offense going in the second inning of the nightcap, lacing leadoff double off the base of the left field fence. Callwood followed with a double down the right field line that scored Walker and put King ahead. Callwood was then sacrificed to third by Amber Palmer and scored on a Kelsey Nave sacrifice fly, putting the Tornado ahead 2-0.
The lead remained the same until the Railplitter offense got going in the sixth inning. Amanda Snow drove in a pair with a double to even the score before Lincoln Memorial got run scoring hits from Johnson and Tice to take a 4-0 lead.
The Railsplitters added an insurance run in the seventh to take a 5-2 lead, before closing the door in the bottom of the inning, taking the contest and the sweep.
Rodriguez, Sports and Walker all accounted for two hits to lead the Tornado offense. Lauren Smith started in the circle for King gave up four runs, three earned on seven hits in six innings.
King returns to the diamond on Friday when they host Southern Wesleyan University at 2:00 p.m.
