BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University baseball team squared off with Carson-Newman University for the second time this season. In what was a tight game, the Tornado fought back after holding an early lead, and had the tying run at second base in the ninth inning. However, the Eagles got out of the bases loaded jam to hand King a 5-3 defeat.
THE BASICS: Carson-Newman 5, King 3
LOCATION: King Baseball Field; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 9-6; Carson-Newman 12-10
TIME OF GAME: 3:00
KING HIGHLIGHTS
- Robbie Scott led the offense with two hits, one run scored and drove in one.
- Conner Hyatt posted his first career hit, registering his first career RBI on the single.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Jarrett Backus worked a leadoff walk, and advanced to third following a hit by pitch and flyout.
- He then scored on a Scott groundout to give King the lead.
- Zach Boze evened the score at 1-1 with a leadoff home run in the second.
- However, Brendan Mascle then retired the side for the Tornado as he picked off a baserunner to end the inning.
- Carson-Newman manufactured a run to take the lead in the sixth on a sacrifice fly before Harrison Travis hit a home run, extending the lead to 3-1.
- Scott started the bottom of the fourth with a triple to right center for the Tornado before scoring on a defensive miscue to cut the King deficit to 3-2.
- King evened the score at 3-3 in the fifth as Chase Hilliard started the inning with a single up the middle and scored on a Hyatt single.
- A one-out walk for Carson-Newman came around to score on a single to right center, giving the Eagles a 4-3 lead in the middle of the sixth inning.
- The Eagles threatened to break the game open with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth inning, but Nic Blankenship entered on the mound for the Tornado.
- He then got a strikeout, groundout and flyout to escape the jam and keep King within one run.
- The Tornado threatened in the bottom of the inning following a one-out double from Connor Andrews.
- Scott followed with a single to put runners on the corners, but the Tornado couldn't push a run across.
- Three straight Carson-Newman singles added a run for the Eagles to start the ninth inning.
- However, Blankenship then got three straight outs to leave runners on second and third, keeping King within 5-3.
- Davis Hall started a one-out rally with a walk in the ninth inning, following and out, walks to Backus and Hyatt loaded the bases.
- However, Carson-Newman got the final out to take the game 5-3.
FOR THE FOES
- Gunnar Ricketts scored a pair of runs while Boze drove in two.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Grif Hughes (1-0) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Losing Pitcher: Christian Walzak (0-1) 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
Save: Hunter Harritan (2) 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO
UP NEXT
- King returns to the diamond on Sunday when they take on UNC Pembroke in a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.
- Carson-Newman travels to Mars Hill University on Sunday and Monday.
