CENTRAL, S.C. – The King University baseball team split a doubleheader at Southern Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon. The Tornado fought back to force extra innings in game one, but fell 4-3 in eight innings. In game two, the King offense pounded out 18 hits in the 13-5 victory.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Southern Wesleyan 4, King 3 (F/8); King 13, Southern Wesleyan 5
LOCATION: Dr. C. Keith Connor Field; Central, S.C.
RECORDS: King 2-1, 2-1 Conference Carolinas; Southern Wesleyan 1-3, 1-2 Conference Carolinas
SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
- Bennett McCann, Davis Hall and Connor Andrews all collected four hits on the day.
- McCann ripped a pair of doubles in game two and drove in two. He also scored five runs on the day.
- Hall drove in four on the day, three coming in game two.
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- Southern Wesleyan got on the board in the second when Angelo Pahila came up with a two-out single that scored Tyler Rogers who walked earlier in the inning.
- King threatened with a pair of walks in the fourth, but couldn't push the tying run across.
- The Tornado grabbed the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth inning, the second on a Hall single that scored McCann.
- However, in the bottom of the inning, Southern Wesleyan put their first two hitters on base and sacrificed them to second and third.
- Dawson Posick then came up with a single to score one and even the tally at two.
- King then turned a double play to end the threat and keep the game tied.
- Neither team scored in the seventh inning, sending the game to extra innings.
- Each team started the extra frame with a runner on second base.
- McCann dropped down a squeeze bunt, scoring Harrison Barger to give King the 3-2 lead.
- That was all King scored, as the Warriors answered in the bottom half.
- A Rogers single scored one before Posick drove in another with a single, giving Southern Wesleyan the 4-3 victory.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Cole Standifer (1-0) 2.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
Losing Pitcher: Nic Blankenship (0-1) 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- King wasted no time taking the lead in game two as McCann drove in a pair with a double and later scored on an error, giving the Tornado a 3-0 lead.
- Drew Moore earned the start and tossed four innings, allowing only four hits and striking out four.
- The Tornado tacked on four runs in the fourth inning as Ethan Hawkins drove in a pair with a single to right field before Backus stretched the Tornado lead to 7-0 with a two-run double down the left field line.
- King added a run in the fifth before the Warriors scored a pair of runs in each the sixth and seventh innings.
- King put the game out of reach with five runs in the eighth inning. Hall had the big blow, a two-run single before a Zachary Thomas double to left center gave King a 13-4 advantage.
- The Warriors added a run in the ninth, but King took the contest 13-5.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Trevor Beards (1-0) 4.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO
Losing Pitcher: Devyn Bond (0-1) 5.0 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Hunter Garlington, Parker Pillsbury and D.J. Ludwick led the way for the Warriors with three hits each.
- Garlington, Posick and Rogers all drove in two runs.
UP NEXT
- The four-game set concludes with a single game on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
