BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University softball team opened their season against regional rival UVA Wise on Thursday afternoon. The Tornado held a lead in each game, but the Cavaliers came back to win both ends of the twinbill, 8-5 in game one and 7-6 in game two.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: UVA Wise 8, King 5; UVA Wise 7, King 6
LOCATION: King Softball Field; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 0-2; UVA Wise 2-0
KING HIGHLIGHTS
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- The King offense got going in the third inning when Campbell laced a one-out home run to give King the lead.
- Thompson followed with a double before Haylee Dye singled. They both scored on a Jardim triple to left field.
- Jardim later scored on an error to give the Tornado a 4-0 lead.
- UVA Wise responded with a two-out, two-run double from Abagail Mills to cut the King lead in half.
- In the fourth inning, Campbell started a two-out rally with a single and scored on a Thompson single to extend the Tornado lead.
- Kaylynn Baker got the run back for the Cavaliers with a home run in the fifth, but King led 5-3.
- UVA Wise put a pair of runners on in the sixth inning before Nikole Counts got the second out of the inning.
- However, a walk and infield single scored one. The Cavaliers then scored another run on a wild pitch before a bases loaded walk gave UVA Wise a 6-5 lead.
- A strikeout finally ended the inning before the Tornado tried to get their offense going again.
- Campbell worked a one-out walk followed by another Thompson single, but they both were stranded.
- King got the first two outs of the seventh inning, but the Cavaliers ripped back-to-back doubles to score on run before a single made the King deficit 8-5.
- The Tornado then went down in order in the bottom of the inning as UVA Wise took the contest 8-5.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Jillian Jones (1-1) 5.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO
Losing Pitcher: Nikole Counts (0-1) 5.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
Save: Bayleigh Allison (1) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- Thompson got the King offense going with a single in the first before scoring on a Dye double.
- Dye then scored on a Jardim single to give King a 2-0 lead.
- Ryan then came up with a two-out single that scored a pair, stretching the Tornado lead to 4-0.
- The score remained the same until the Cavaliers loaded the base in the third with a pair of singles and walk.
- Brie Frazier then ripped a two-out home run to even the score at 4-4.
- King regained the lead in the fourth inning when Caitlyn Bishop started the frame with a single and later scored a UVA Wise defensive miscue.
- The Tornado extended the lead to 6-4 as Bradlie Warner scored on another UVA Wise error.
- The score remained the same until the sixth inning when the Kara Long laced a bases loaded, two-out double to left center field that cleared the bases and gave UVA Wise a 7-6 lead.
- A King rally was started in the seventh inning as Jardim reached on an error before an Alyssa Suits single put runners on second and third with one out.
- However, the Cavaliers got the final two outs to take the contest 7-6.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Bayleigh Allison (2-0) 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO
Losing Pitcher: Marleigh Duncan (0-4) 7.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 6 BB, 10 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Frazier ripped a grand slam in game two while Long went 4-for-4 and drove in three.
- Mills drove in two on three hits in game one.
- Baker also drove in two and posted two hits in game one.
UP NEXT
- King was scheduled to travel to the University of North Georgia for four games over the weekend, but due to weather, that has been canceled.
- The Tornado are in action again on Wednesday at Lincoln Memorial University. First pitch from Harrogate, Tenn. is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
- UVA Wise is scheduled to host Concord University on Sunday.
