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Box Score 2 SAVANNAH, Ga. – The King University softball team had a rough day on Sunday, facing a pair the region's top teams in Lenoir-Rhyne University and eighth-ranked Armstrong State University. The Tornado dropped the first contest to Lenoir-Rhyne 12-4 before falling to the host Pirates 14-3 in the final game of the weekend.
For the second day in a row, the Tornado got off to a good start against Lenoir-Rhyne, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. Chrissy Melcher worked a one-out walk to start a rally in the top of the first inning before Hannah Smith and Amber Walker both walked to load the bases. Amanda Sports then put a ball in play to second base, and the fielder's throw home was off the mark allowing Melcher and Smith to score. However, the Bears (8-1) got the final two outs of the inning to escape the jam.
In the bottom of the inning, the Lenoir-Rhyne offense exploded for six runs after a pair of leadoff walks started the inning. Ashley Olive ripped a run scoring double before Brittany Cou drove in two with a single up the middle. After another RBI double, Christina Wa made the score 6-0 when she drove in two with a single to left before King got out of the inning.
King (1-5) then went down in order in the second before the Bears added onto their lead. Cou ripped a two-run home run that was followed by a blast from Sarah Kenley to make the score 9-2 in favor of the Bears. Lenoir-Rhyne added two more in the fourth on another Kenley home run, putting the Bears up 11-2.
The Tornado registered their first hit, and got on the board again in the fifth as Stephanie Rodriguez started the inning with a single before advancing to third on a Bear fielding error. Smith then ripped a fly ball to right field that was deep enough to score Rodriguez. Later in the inning Kelsey Craighead, who reached on an error, scored on a wild pitch to make the score 11-4 going to the bottom of the fifth.
However, Kenley ended the contest to due to the eight run mercy rule when she ripped a single up the middle that score Katie Carpen who reached on an error, giving Lenoir-Rhyne the 12-4 win.
Rodriguez registered King's lone hit while Smith drove in a run for the Tornado offense. In the circle, Hollyn Franklin earned the start and lasted one and one-thirds innings, and Lauren Smith tossed the final three and one-thirds innings for the Tornado.
Armstrong State (6-4) started the game with by scoring six runs in the top of the first inning to gain the lead. The big blow in the inning was a Michelle Breen three-run home run. The Pirates tacked on one run in the second and two in each of the third and fourth innings. In the fourth, Bethany Ballard ripped a two-run home run for Armstrong State to push their lead to 10-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Tornado offense tried to get going as Walker started a one-out rally with a single to center field. Sports then followed with a blast, her first career home run as it cleared the center field fence to cut the Tornado deficit to 10-2 after four innings.
However, the Pirates plated four runs in the top of the fifth, two on a Ballard single up the middle to stretch their lead to 14-2 going into King's final at bat. Diamond Callwood starting the inning with a single, and after an out Smith laced a double to right center. After a walk loaded the bases Kelsie Craighead drove in a run with a two-out infield single. However, King couldn't plate any more runs as they fell 14-3.
Craighead posted two hits for the Tornado and drove in one while Sports drove in a pair with her first career home run.
The Tornado will be in action again on Wednesday when they travel to take on Wingate University. First pitch from Wingate, N.C. is slated for 1:00 p.m.
