HICKORY, N.C. – On the first day of the Lenoir-Rhyne University Tournament, the King University softball team took a pair of tough losses. King dropped the first contest to Carson-Newman University 5-3 before falling to the host Bears in the nightcap 8-1.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Carson-Newman 5, King 3; Lenoir-Rhyne 8, King 1
LOCATION: Bears Field; Hickory, N.C.
RECORDS: King 0-6; Carson-Newman 6-2; Lenoir-Rhyne 10-1

SERIES HIGHLIGHTS

• Diamond Callwood led King against Carson-Newman, going 2-for-3 with one run scored.
• Jennifer Kern laced her third home run of the season against Carson-Newman, driving in two.
• In the nightcap, Alliyah Sands and Amber Walker recorded back-to-back hits to score King's lone run.

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS – Carson-Newman

• The Eagles didn't waste any time getting on the board, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning, capped by a Katie Pritchett three-run home run.
• The Tornado got one back the bottom of the frame as Hannah Devotie reached on an error and later scored on an error, making the score 4-1 after one.
• Both pitchers dominated the middle innings until Carson-Newman tallied a run on a Prichett single in the fifth inning.
• The Tornado cut into their deficit in the sixth as Callwood registered a one-out single and Kern followed with a blast to right center, making the score 5-3 going into the seventh.
• King couldn't get a rally going in the seventh, going down in order.

OF RECORD

Winning Pitcher: Lindsay Dean (3-0) 5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Save: Allison Webster (2) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Losing Pitcher: Lauren Smith (0-2) 1.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS – Lenoir-Rhyne

• The nightcap was tight throughout after the Bears took a 1-0 lead on a groundout in the first inning. Erin Boone started the frame with a single and stole second before scoring on a groundout to make the score 1-0.
• Over the next three innings, there were only three hits and pitchers' Brandi Parks and Morgan Lowe kept the opposing offenses off balance.
• The Tornado offense finally broke through in the fifth as Sands recorded King's first hit, a double down the left field line. Walker followed with a single to center, evening the score at 1-1.
• Lenoir-Rhyne responded in the bottom half of the inning, registering six hits and scoring six unearned runs to take a 7-1 advantage.
• The Bears added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a Anne Marie Lackey double as they took the contest 8-1.

OF RECORD

Winning Pitcher: Parks (2-0) 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO
Losing Pitcher: Lowe (0-2) 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

FOR THE FOES

• For Carson-Newman, Pritchett led the way, going 2-for-3 and driving in four runs.
• Cheyenne Boles and Kristen Topple also registered two hits for the Eagles.
• Lenoir-Rhyne recorded 11 hits and all but one player that had an at bat registered a hit. Madison Carter led the way with two knocks.
• Sarah Kenley drove in a pair to lead the Bears and Jordin Phillips with two runs scored.

UP NEXT

• The Tornado are in action again on Sunday when the take on No. 10 Georgia College at 9:00 a.m. and Columbus State University at 11:00 a.m. to conclude play at the Lenoir-Rhyne Tournament.