BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University baseball team closed their season on Saturday with a doubleheader at Southern Wesleyan University. The Warriors took game one 3-2 behind a solid pitching performance before the Tornado bounced back to take game two 8-1.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Southern Wesleyan 3, King 2; King 8, Southern Wesleyan 1
LOCATION: Dr. Conner Field; Central, S.C.
RECORDS: 18-30, 10-17 Conference Carolinas; Southern Wesleyan 16-32, 4-23 Conference Carolinas

SERIES HIGHLIGHTS

• In game one, Tyler Bailey recorded two of King's three hits while Ryan Whitt recorded the other and drove in one.
• Marcus Schreiber led the way in game two, going 2-for-5 and drove in three.
• Branden Cook drove in a pair, going 1-for-4 in game two.
• Whitt, Moises Soto and Dylan Sligh also record two hits each in the nightcap.

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• Southern Wesleyan scored all of their runs early in game one, starting with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first.
• Matt Costa came up with a two-out, two-run double to put the Warriors on top in the first inning.
• In the second frame, DiMarkus Sanders reached on an infield single and Avery Mahon followed with a double down the left field line, stretching the Warrior lead to 3-0.
• In the third inning, Preston Douglas walked and stole second before Whitt followed with a single to plate Douglas and get King on the board.
• Both pitchers settled in at that point as there were only three hits by either team over the next three innings.
• Bailey tried to spark a King rally in the top of the seventh with a leadoff single. He moved to second on a wild pitch and late scored on a J.P. Castaneda groundout, cutting the King deficit to 3-2.
• However that was all the Tornado would get as the Warriors took the game 3-2.

OF RECORD

Winning Pitcher: J.J. Julian (2-4) 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 9 SO
Losing Pitcher: Matt Jackson (3-5) 5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• After the Warriors threatened in the bottom of the first inning with a pair of runners, the Tornado broke through in the top of the second.
• Sligh and Soto started the rally with a single and double before Ben Donaldson followed with a double that score Sligh. Cook then drove in a pair as he reached on an error, giving King a 3-0 lead.
• The score remained the same until King struck for three again in the fourth inning on a rally started by a Soto single. After he stole second, Schreiber struck with a two-run home run.
• Following the home run, Joe Ganger doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Josh Stephens then walked and stole second as Ganger scored on the throw, giving King a 6-0 lead.
• Southern Wesleyan got on the board when Luke Hostetler drove in Brad Brisko with a single, cutting their deficit to 6-1.
• The Tornado later plated single runs in each the eighth and ninth innings to take an 8-1 advantage. Bailey drove in Cook in the eighth with a double and Schreiber plated Castaneda in the ninth.
• Nathan Helke made those runs standup as the senior tossed the final four innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four to give King the 8-1 victory.

OF RECORD

Winning Pitcher: Mark Michael (1-4) 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO
Losing Pitcher: Bryce Bearden (1-6) 4.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO

FOR THE FOES

• Hostetler went 2-for-4 and drove in one to lead Southern Wesleyan in game two.
• In game one it was Conner Ewing and Brisko that each recorded two hits and scored once.
• Costa drove in a pair for the Warriors in game one.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Seniors playing in their last games for the Tornado were Whitt, Helke, Jackson Ganger and Mark Hencken.