BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University softball team came away with a split against the University of Mount Olive on Friday afternoon.
Nikole Counts was spectacular in the circle for the Tornado in their 3-0 game one victory. However, the Trojans came back to take game two 5-2.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: King 3, Mount Olive 0; Mount Olive 5, King 2
LOCATION: King Softball Field; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 21-13, 13-5 Conference Carolinas; Mount Olive 20-12, 13-5 Conference Carolinas
KING HIGHLIGHTS
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- Tinsley Thompson started a rally for the Tornado offense with a one-out single in the second inning.
- She later scored on a Day double before Haag gave King a 2-0 lead with a sacrifice fly that scored Day.
- That was all Counts needed as she retired the first 10 batters she faced before a Mount Olive one-out double in the fourth.
- Counts stranded her at third, keeping the Tornado ahead.
- Mount Olive had singles in the fifth and sixth innings, but Counts left them stranded.
- Sells tacked on an insurance run in the sixth with a two-out single that scored Brianna Harbin, who pinch ran for Day after she singled.
- Following a two-out walk, Counts got a groundout on her 71st pitch, giving King the 3-0 victory.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Nikole Counts (12-5) 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO
Losing Pitcher: Hailey Kessinger (3-4) 6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- Mount Olive broke through first in the nightcap as a two-out walk in the third started a rally.
- Megan Bryant laced a double that scored Katelyn Fulford and Courtlynn Cooney gave the Trojans a 2-0 lead with a single up the middle.
- A leadoff triple, followed by a single in the fourth scored another for Mount Olive as the Trojans added another unearned run to take a 4-0 lead.
- Marleigh Duncan started the fifth inning with a pinch-hit single before Sells walked to put to runners on.
- Mount Olive then got an out on a groundball before a pair of throwing errors allowed both runs to score as King cut their deficit to 4-2.
- Bryant added an insurance run with a leadoff home run in the seventh inning.
- Day started the seventh with a double, but the Tornado couldn't mount a rally as Mallory Ratcliff closed out the 5-2 Mount Olive win.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Mallory Ratcliff (11-5) 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
Losing Pitcher: Carly Turner (7-7) 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Bryant posted four hits on the day, including two doubles and one home run.
UP NEXT
- King takes on Belmont Abbey College at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday in the regular season finale.
- Mount Olive travels to Lees-McRae College on Saturday afternoon.