Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BRISTOL, Tenn. – Playing one of the better teams in Conference Carolinas this season, the Tornado nearly handed North Greenville their first conference loss of the season on Friday afternoon. The Crusaders used a leadoff home run and solid pitching to take game one of the doubleheader 2-0 before holding off a late Tornado rally to win game two 7-4.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: North Greenville 2, King 0; North Greenville 7, King 4
LOCATION: King Baseball Field; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 9-17, 2-9 Conference Carolinas; North Greenville 20-8, 11-0 Conference Carolinas
SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
- Dylan Sligh led the King offense recording two hits in each game.
- Preston Douglas posted two hits on the day, one in each game.
- Gus Gill threw well on the mound in game one for the Tornado, giving up on run on six hits in seven and one-thirds innings.
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
- Bennette Hill didn't wait long to get North Greenville on the board, ripping the second pitch of the game off of the scoreboard in right center field for his third home run of the season.
- After that, Gill settled in for the Tornado, only allowing five hits over the next six innings.
- Gill didn't allow more than one runner in an inning the rest of the way, giving the King offense a chance to even the tally.
- However, Ethan Garner was just as impressive for the Crusaders, scattering five hits in seven innings.
- Sligh recorded King's first hit, a double in the third inning.
- King later threatened with a pair of runners in the sixth inning, but couldn't push a run across.
- The Tornado registered a pair of hits in the seventh inning, back-to-back doubles from Sligh and Anthony Hunt to start the frame.
- However, Garner got three straight outs to escape the jam and leave runners on second and third.
- North Greenville added an insurance run in the top of the ninth as Mitchell Painter drove in Nathaniel Maggio, who doubled earlier in the inning with a sacrifice fly.
- The Tornado offense couldn't get anything going in the bottom of the ninth against North Greenville's closer, John Leopard as the Crusaders took the contest 2-0.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Garner (5-2) 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
Save: Leopard (5) 2.0 IP, 0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO
Losing Pitcher: Gill (2-3) 7.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
- The Crusaders threatened with a pair of runners in the first inning of game two, before tallying one run in the second inning on a Painter double.
- North Greenville looked to open the game up in the third inning with four runs. Jae Roberts started the inning with a double and later scored on Maggio single. Andrew Frazier drove in a pair with a single up the middle.
- The Crusader stretched the lead to 7-0 with a pair of runs in the fourth inning as Maggio ripped a two-run home run to right field.
- The Tornado put together a rally in both the sixth and seventh innings. King scored four runs in the sixth inning, two following a Crusader error and two more on wild pitches, pulling King within 7-4.
- Josh Stephens drew a walk to start the seventh inning and Mark Hencken doubled. Ryan Whitt later walked to load the bases with two outs, but the Tornado couldn't get the hit as North Greenville took the game 7-4.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Hunter Dilworth (5-2) 6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO
Save: Tucker Moring (1) 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO
Losing Pitcher: Mark Hendricks (0-4) 6.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Maggio registered three hits on the day, scoring three runs and driving in three.
- Frazier posted four hits on the day, driving in two and scoring twice in game one.
UP NEXT
- The teams are scheduled to conclude their three game series on Saturday depending on the weather. As of now, first pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m., check KingTornado.com for updates.
