Box Score GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On Monday afternoon, the King University baseball team faced one of the top teams in the southeast region on the road, Tusculum College. The Pioneers used a pair of five run innings to hand King their second straight loss, 11-2.
King (18-20) threatened early when Josh Stephens started the contest with a single down the left field line and then stole second. A groundout moved him to third base before he was cut down at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch. Jose Sola tried to restart the rally, registered a single and stole second before being picked off. The Tornado threatened again in the fourth, stranding a pair of runners before Tusculum (23-12) got on the board.
The Pioneers plated five runs in the fourth to grab the lead on a rally that was started by a single and walk before King recorded the second out of the inning. Jalen Shuffler started the scoring with a two-run single and John Topoleski capped the frame with a two-run double, giving Tusculum a 5-0 lead.
After stranding a pair in both the fifth and sixth, Jake Portugal sparked the offense with a leadoff single in the seventh. Derrick Moore followed with a single and J.P. Castaneda dropped down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third. Following an out, Braden Cook drew a walk to load the bases before Sola came up with the big hit, a two-run single through the left side, getting King on the board.
However, the Pioneers added one in the seventh, stretching their lead to 6-2. Tusculum then put the contest out of reach with a five running bottom of the eighth inning. Jim Tolle had the key hit for the Pioneers in the inning, a three-run double down the left field line as Tusculum took the contest 11-2.
Sola led the way offensively for King, going 3-for-4 and driving in both runs. Preston Douglas and Jake Portugal both registered two hits in the game with Portugal scoring a run.
King returns to action on Wednesday when the host UVa-Wise in a doubleheader that is slated to start at 1:30 p.m.
