BRISTOL, Tenn. – In the rubber game of their three-game set, the King University baseball team went back-and-forth with Barton College early on Sunday afternoon. However, the Bulldogs pulled away late, taking the contest 19-4 to win the series.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Barton 19, King 4
LOCATION: King Baseball Field; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 5-7, 1-2 Conference Carolinas; Barton 10-2, 2-1 Conference Carolinas
TIME OF GAME: 3:01

King Starting Lineup

1. Nicolas Keister – RF
2. Mark Hencken – 2B
3. Ryan Whitt – LF
4. Ryan Sattz – 1B
5. Anthony Hunt – C
6. Austin Dayton – 3B
7. Josh Stephens – CF
8. Moises Soto – DH
9. Tyler Bailey – SS
Starting Pitcher: RHP P.J. O'Brien

Barton Starting Lineup

1. Tyler Garrett – CF
2. Hunter Pearre - RF
3. Andrew Webster – 1B
4. Jacob Willis - C
5. Blake Spangenberg - LF
6. Shawn Montren - DH
7. Ricks Bearing – 2B
8. Ben Youngblood – 3B
9. Calvin Hawke - SS
Starting Pitcher: RHP Kerry Walker

KING HIGHLIGHTS

• Keister went 2-for-3, driving in one and scoring once from the leadoff spot.
• Ryan Sattz went 2-for-4 and Braden Cook went 2-for-2 off the bench for the Tornado.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Barton grabbed the lead in the second after Montren ripped a leadoff double. He scored on a sacrifice fly from Hawke and Tyler Garrett drove in one on a ground out, giving Barton a 2-0 lead.
• The Tornado answered in the bottom of the inning as Josh Stephens started a two-out rally with a single to right field. An error and a walk loaded the bases before Keister drew a walk to push one run across. The Tornado couldn't push another as the Bulldogs escaped the inning with a 2-1 lead.
• The Bulldogs answered with a run in the third and extended their lead in the fourth inning with five runs. Barton scored one run on a bases loaded walk and two more on ground outs to take a 8-1 lead.
• The team traded runs in the fifth inning with Whitt driving in Keister with a single up the middle, cutting the King deficit to 9-2.
• Webster gave Barton a 10-run cushion with a three-run triple in the seventh and the Bulldogs put the game out of reach in the eighth inning.
• In the eighth, Webster ripped a grand slam that put Barton ahead 19-2.
• Hunt started the eighth inning for King with a double and later scored on a Cook single. The Tornado added another, but left the bases loaded.
• King threatened again with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Barton got the final out to take the contest 19-4.

FOR THE FOES

• Webster went 5-for-5 with three runs scored and nine runs batted in to lead the Bulldogs.
• Dearing followed, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two runs batted in.
• Pearre and Montren each recorded two hits and scored twice.
• Hawke recorded one hit, scored twice and drove in a pair.

OF RECORD

Winning Pitcher: Walker (3-0) 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO
Losing Pitcher: O'Brien (0-2) 3.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• King registered 24 hits in the contest, their most since 2011-12 when the also registered 24 hits, coming at Mars Hill University.
• The 24 hits also marks the fifth time since King has been NCAA Division II members (2011-12) they have reached at least 20 hits in a contest.
• A season ago, King recorded 23 hits against Belmont Abbey College.

UP NEXT

• King hosts Lincoln Memorial University on Wednesday in a nonconference affair at 2:00 p.m.
• Barton hosts UNC Pembroke on Tuesday afternoon.