HARROGATE, Tenn. – The King University softball team traveled to take on eighth-ranked Lincoln Memorial University. The Tornado played the Railsplitters tight, but couldn't come out on top in either end of the doubleheader. Lincoln Memorial won game won 4-3 before winning game two 3-2.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: #8 Lincoln Memorial 4, King 3; #8 Lincoln Memorial 3, King 2
LOCATION: Dorothy Neely Field; Harrogate, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 20-12; Lincoln Memorial 31-4
KING HIGHLIGHTS
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- Thompson recorded the game's first hit, coming in the second inning, but she was stranded.
- Lincoln Memorial worked two walks to start the second inning, but Nikole Counts got out of the inning, leaving runners on second and third.
- A walk, followed by a Ty-Kella Goins double got Lincoln Memorial on the board in the third inning.
- Goins later scored on a groundout to give the Railsplitters a 2-0 lead.
- Lincoln Memorial got two run-scoring singles in the fifth inning, extending their lead to 4-0.
- Samantha Helms started the sixth inning with a single, and following a pair of outs, Meagan Puckett worked walk.
- Thompson then ripped a double that scored both before a Day single plated Thompson and pulled King within 4-3.
- Azlee Sells then ripped a single to left field and Day tried to score, but the Railsplitters cut down the run at the plate to keep the lead at 4-3.
- However, the Tornado couldn't get the offense going in the seventh as Lincoln Memorial took the contest 4-3.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Emma Frost (14-2) 7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO
Losing Pitcher: Nikole Counts (11-5) 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- Both pitchers dominated early, but Lincoln Memorial struck first, on a Goins home run in the third inning.
- King answered in the fourth inning as a Carly Tuner two-out single kept the inning going.
- Miller then followed with a home run, putting King ahead 2-1.
- The lead was short-lived, however, as the Railsplitters evened the score in the fourth inning.
- A leadoff single later scored on a two-out ground-rule double evened the score at 2-2.
- The Tornado threatened in the sixth inning with back-to-back singles from Haylee Dy and Helms to start the inning.
- However, King couldn't get another hit as Lincoln Memorial got out of the inning.
- The score remained the same until the seventh inning when Bella Buccellato ripped a one-out double.
- She later scored on a Grace Cochran two-out single, giving Lincoln Memorial the 3-2 victory.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Bailey Griffith (10-2) 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Losing Pitcher: Carly Turner (7-6) 6.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Goins led Lincoln Memorial with three hits, three runs scored and two runs batted in.
- Sierra Hucklebee also drove in two runs and scored twice.
UP NEXT
- King returns home to take on the University of Mount Olive on Friday at 1:00 p.m. before facing Belmont Abbey College on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
- Lincoln Memorial hosts Lenoir-Rhyne University on Thursday.