Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 TIGERVILLE, S.C. – The King University softball team closed the regular season with a pair of tough Conference Carolinas losses at North Greenville University. After King evened the score at six in the top of the seventh inning in game one, the Crusaders scored in the bottom of the frame to take the contest 7-6. King again tried to comeback in the nightcap, but the Crusaders held on for the 4-3 win to jump the Tornado in the league standings.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: North Greenville 7, King 6; North Greenville 4, King 3
LOCATION: Jan McDonald Field; Tigerville, S.C.
RECORDS: King 17-29, 10-12 Conference Carolinas; North Greenville 25-22, 11-11 Conference Carolinas
SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
- Hannah Smith was the story of the first game for the Tornado as she ripped a pair of home runs and drove in four.
- Olivia Lawson also recorded two hits in game one for the Tornado.
- In game two, Amber Walker posted two hits and scored once while Alliyah Sands and Lauren Rowsey both drove in runs.
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
- The Tornado didn't waste any time getting on the board in the opening contest, plating three runs on two hits in the opening frame. Jennifer Kern walked and Lawson singled before Smith came up and laced a three-run home run to left field, putting the Tornado on top.
- Morgan Roach answered for the Crusaders in the bottom of the first, plating one run, but Tornado pitcher Hayley Smothers stranded a pair of runners to keep King ahead.
- Kern stretched the Tornado lead back to three when she drove in Smothers with a ground out in the fourth.
- However, North Greenville matched the run with a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth on a Celsea Rivers groundout, making the score 4-2.
- Smith struck again in the fifth for King, ripping her second home run of the day, this one to center field, giving King a 5-2 advantage.
- The Crusader offense exploded in the bottom of the fifth inning for four runs, giving North Greenville the lead. Jordan Farmer and Haley Gray each drove in one while Rivers ripped a two-run single that put the Crusaders ahead.
- With bases loaded in the top of the seventh with one out, Amber Walker singled down the left field line to score Rowsey and even the score at 6-6.
- The Tornado had a chance to take the lead, but Anna Rogers, the Crusader pitcher got the final two outs to leave the bases loaded.
- In the bottom of the seventh, Farmer drew a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second, but a Tornado error allowed the hitter to reach base.
- Another sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third before Rivers hit a sacrifice fly to score Farmer and give North Greenville the 7-6 victory.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Rogers (3-1) 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Losing Pitcher: Smothers (10-13) 6.2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
- North Greenville struck first in the nightcap, scoring two runs in the second inning. Roach started a two-out rally with walk and Rivers later singled to plate two and give the Crusaders a 2-0 lead.
- After tripling in the fourth inning, Gray scored on a Jordan Willingham squeeze bunt, stretching the North Greenville lead to 3-0.
- The Crusaders made it 4-0 in the fifth inning when Farmer reached on an infield single that scored Traci Howell who was on third base.
- King got a rally going in the top of the sixth inning that was started by a Smith walk and Walker single. Sands then doubled to score one before Rowsey drove in another with a ground ball.
- Later in the inning, Rowsey stole second and Sands came in to score, cutting the King deficit to 4-3 after six innings.
- Walker tried to start a two-out rally for the Tornado in the top of the seventh, but that was all King would get as Rogers got the final out, giving North Greenville the 4-3 win.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Kayla McCarson (6-7) 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 SO
Save: Rogers (1) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Losing Pitcher: Lauren Smith (6-10) 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Roach laced two hit to lead North Greenville in game one and she score a run in the nightcap.
- Gray went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and drove in one on the day.
- In game one, Rivers went 2-for-3 and drove in four before going 1-for-3 in the nightcap.
- Megan Johnson also recorded a pair of hits in game two for North Greenville.
UP NEXT
- Both King and North Greenville will be in action again on Thursday when the Conference Carolinas Tournament starts in Burlington, N.C.
