CANDLER, N.C. – The King University softball team closed the regular season with a split in a pair of high scoring games at Mars Hill University. The Tornado fell in game one 9-8 before coming back for a 10-9 victory in the nightcap.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Mars Hill 9, King 8; King 10, Mars Hill 9
LOCATION: Enka High School; Candler, N.C.
RECORDS: King 28-19; Mars Hill 17-18

SERIES HIGHLIGHTS

• Four Tornado hit home runs on the day, Jenna Burnett, Hannah Riddle, Kay Brokering and Katie McCann.
• Riddle and McCann led King with four hits apiece while Brokering drove in six runs.
• Danielle Parks drove in three on three hits, including a double.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• McCann opening the scoring as she started the game with an inside the park home run.
• Three batters later, Burnett laced a two-run home run, giving King a 3-0 lead.
• Mars Hill answered with a Taylor Lail two-run home run in the bottom of the inning, cutting their deficit to 3-2.
• The Lions evened the score with a run in the second, but King regained the lead in the third inning.
• Katelynn Davidson started the inning with a home run before Leslie Odom drew a bases loaded walk and Kaycee Casteel was hit by a pitch, giving King a 6-3 lead.
• Mars Hill answered with a five runs in the third inning, taking their first lead of the game.
• Kayleigh Jonas highlighted the inning with a two-run home runs as the Lions took an 8-6 lead.
• Parks pulled King within one with a single that scored Hannah Adams and McCann evened the score with a single to score Parks in the fifth inning.
• The Tornado threatened to take the lead in the sixth inning as they loaded the bases with one out. However, King couldn't get a key hit as the Lions got out of the inning.
• Ashley Evans ripped a home run in the sixth inning, giving the Lions the lead.
• Mars Hill worked around a hit in the seventh inning, to defeat King 9-8.

OF RECORD

Winning Pitcher: Kayleigh Jonas (1-1) 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
Losing Pitcher: Rachel Farmer (5-3) 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Ragan Broome started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a leadoff home run for Mars Hill.
• Later in the inning, Jonas ripped a three-run home run, extending the Lion lead to 4-0.
• Davidson got King on the board in the third inning with a double that scored Michaela Morris.
• Brokering later drove in a pair, pulling King within 4-3.
• Mars Hill pushed their lead back to two runs on an Evans home run in the third inning.
• Riddle pulled King back within one with a leadoff home run in the fifth inning.
• King grabbed their first lead of the contest when Parks ripped a two-out, two-run double, vaulting the Tornado into a 6-5 lead.
• With two outs in the sixth inning, Brokering tried to put the game out of reach when she ripped a two-out grand slam, giving King a 10-5 lead.
• However, the Lions responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning, pulling back within in two.
• Mars Hill scored another run in the seventh, but Rachel Farmer got out of the jam, giving King the 10-9 victory.

OF RECORD

Winning Pitcher: Rachel Farmer (6-3) 2.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
Losing Pitcher: Kayleigh Jonas (1-2) 1.2 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO

FOR THE FOES

• Jonas paced the offense with four hits, including two home runs and drove in six runs on the day.
• Marasa posted a team-high five hits and drove in three.

UP NEXT

• King will take on Lees-McRae College on Friday in the Conference Carolinas Tournament in Burlington, N.C.