BANNER ELK, N.C. – The King University softball team closed the Conference Carolinas regular season with a split at Lees-McRae College on Saturday afternoon. The Tornado defense faltered in their 4-0 game one defeat before Hannah Riddle ripped a pair of home runs to lead King to the 6-1 game two victory.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae 4, King 0; King 6, Lees-McRae 1
LOCATION: LMC Softball Field; Banner Elk, N.C.
RECORDS: King 28-18, 13-7 Conference Carolinas; Lees-McRae 16-24, 11-9 Conference Carolinas

SERIES HIGHLIGHTS

• Riddle paced the Tornado offense with three hits. In game two she went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and five runs batted in. She ripped her 10th and 11th home runs of the season.
• From the leadoff spot, Katie McCann posted three hits and scored one run in the nightcap.
• Jenna Burnett, Hanna Adams and Danielle Parks all posted two hits in game two.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• The Bobcats got on the board in the first inning on an errant Tornado throw to grab a 1-0 lead.
• Lees-McRae took a 3-0 lead on another King defensive miscue in the third inning.
• In the fifth inning, Lees-McRae tried to put the game out of reach, scoring two more unearned runs. Emily Merriam drove in the final run with a single, giving the Bobcats a 4-0 advantage.
• The King offense couldn't get anything going against Bobcat pitcher Kara Cunningham until the seventh inning when back-to-back one-out hits from Kay Brokering and Candace Maness put two runners on.
• A walk loaded the bases, but Cunningham got the final two outs, giving Lees-McRae the 4-0 win.

OF RECORD

Winning Pitcher: Kara Cunningham (16-11) 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO
Losing Pitcher: Leslie Odom (14-7) 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Riddle opened the scoring with a home run in the first inning, putting the Tornado ahead.
• The lead grew to 2-0 on a Adams single that was misplayed in left field, allowing Brokering to score.
• Riddle laced another home run in the seventh inning, a grand slam that stretched the King lead to 6-0.
• Emma Hughes and Raven Allender did a good job of keeping the Bobcat hitters off balance through the first six innings, only allowing four hits.
• In the seventh, Lees-McRae mounted a rally, scoring a run on a Karly McRary single.
• However, Rachel Farmer got a pair of outs to end the game and give King the 6-1 victory.

OF RECORD

Winning Pitcher: Emma Hughes (6-8) 4.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
Losing Pitcher: Gabrielle Moyer (0-2) 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO

FOR THE FOES

• Caitlyn Ray and Sarah Beth Thomas each went 2-for-2 with two runs scored in the opening game.

UP NEXT

• King travels to face Mars Hill University on Sunday. The twinbill is scheduled to start at Enka High School at 1:00 p.m.
• Lees-McRae will be in action again on April 27-29 at the Conference Carolinas Championship.