BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University softball team opened their season with a pair of exciting wins over UVA Wise. The Tornado came from behind in game one, taking the contest 7-5 on a
Camryn Haag two-run home run. The Tornado then took game two 12-4.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: King 7, UVA Wise 5; King 12, UVA Wise 4
LOCATION: King Softball Field; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 2-0; UVA Wise 6-2
KING HIGHLIGHTS
- Haag posted three hits on the day, two doubles and a home run. She drove in four and scored twice.
- Lauren Lawson and Peyton Day also registered three hits each on the day. Lawson drove in four and scored twice while Day drove in a pair and scored three times.
- Haylee Dye also recorded three hits in the twinbill.
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- UVA Wise took a 1-0 lead three batters into the game following a leadoff hit, walk and another single.
- A bases loaded fielder's choice gave the Cavaliers a 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning.
- The Tornado offense responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning.
- Erin Foster walked to start the inning before a Dye single and Carly Turner was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
- Rikkelle Miller drove in the first run as she was hit by a pitch before Lawson scored Turner with a sacrifice fly to even the score.
- Day then ripped a double that scored a pair and Haag made it a 5-2 King lead with a double that scored Day.
- The Cavaliers came back and evened the tally at five with three runs in the second inning.
- Kaylee Jones drove in one with a double before a groundout evened the score at 5-5.
- Marleigh Duncan entered the circle for the Tornado in the top of the third inning and shut down the Cavalier offense.
- She struck out the side in the third and retired the first 10 batters she faced until a walk in the sixth.
- Following the walk, she retired the final five batters she faced to end the game.
- King grabbed the lead in the bottom of the third as Day started the inning with a single and Haag followed with a home run to left field.
- That put the Tornado ahead 7-5, and Duncan made that standup.
- The seven strikeouts for Duncan is a career-high, topping her previous best of four.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Marleigh Duncan (1-0) 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO
Losing Pitcher: McKenna Falwell (3-1) 6.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- Lawson ignited the Tornado offense in the second inning with a leadoff double and later scored on a fielding error.
- Following a Haag RBI double, Maggie Deel drove in Day and Haag with a double up the middle.
- Lawson gave King the 7-0 lead when she ripped a single up the middle that scored Tinsley Thompson and Turner.
- Deel added another for the Tornado in the third when she laced a sacrifice fly that scored Delaney Porter.
- UVA Wise cut their deficit in half with four runs in the fourth, highlighted by a Kara Long two-run single to center field.
- King responded, scoring two runs on four pitched in the bottom of the inning. Turner started the frame wit ha double, before Miller tripled and Lawson doubled, giving King the 10-4 lead.
- King added a pair on a Cavalier miscue to take a 12-4 lead.
- Turner then retired the Cavaliers in order in the fifth, giving King the 12-4 victory.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Carly Turner (1-0) 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 9 SO
Losing Pitcher: Sydney Collins (3-1) 2.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Long and Jenna McDermott led UVA Wise with three hits and two runs batted in each.
- McDermott scored three runs.
UP NEXT
- King travels to Lenoir-Rhyne University on Wednesday. First pitch from Hickory, N.C. is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
- UVA Wise hosts Lees-McRae College on Thursday, February 24.
