JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The King University softball team started their 2021 season the same way the 2020 season ended, with a win over Carson-Newman University. The Tornado hit eight home runs on the day, four in the season-opening 8-2 win over the Eagles. King then hit four more bombs in game two, but the Eagles came back, scoring an unprecedented five runs in the seventh inning to take the 8-7 victory.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: King 8, Carson-Newman 2; Carson-Newman 8, King 7
LOCATION: The Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex; Jefferson City, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 1-1; Carson-Newman 1-1
KING HIGHLIGHTS
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- King had leadoff baserunners in each of the first two innings, but couldn't push a run across.
- Foster got the Tornado on the board in the third with a home run to left center.
- The Tornado looked to tack runs on in the fourth as they loaded the bases with no outs, however, the Eagles got out of the jam unscathed.
- Camryn Haag started the fifth inning with a double to right center and scored on another home run from Foster.
- Thompson then broke the game open later in the inning when she laced a grand slam to right center for her first career hit. That gave King a 7-0 lead.
- That was all Tornado pitcher Nikole Counts needed as she only allowed one hit through the first six innings, and that was bunt single.
- Turner extended the King lead to 8-0 with leadoff home run in the seventh inning.
- Carson-Newman plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but that was all Counts allowed, giving King the victory.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Nikole Counts (1-0) 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Losing Pitcher: Lacie Rinus (0-1) 7.0 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- King got on the board in the first inning when they took advantage of a Carson-Newman defensive miscue to take a 1-0 lead.
- Carson-Newman countered with a walk and back-to-back singles to even the score at 1-1.
- However, the Tornado turned a double play and Turner induced a groundout to end the threat.
- The tie was short-lived, however, as Thompson led off the second inning with another home run, putting King back ahead.
- The Eagles took their first lead of the day in the third inning when Katie Eakes came up with a two-out, two-run single, putting the Eagles ahead 3-2.
- The lead didn't last long as Kylee Wolfe started the top of the fourth inning with a home run, evening the tally at 3-3.
- King turned another double play to end the fourth inning and keep the score tied.
- Haag started the Tornado half of the fifth inning with a single and score on a Puckett home run.
- Turner followed with a double and scored on a Miller home run, giving King a 7-3 lead.
- The score stayed the same until the bottom of the seventh with the Eagle offense got going.
- Carson-Newman started the inning with a double and consecutive singles to plate one run.
- Following an error, a walk plated another run before Eakes evened the score with a two-run single to right center.
- The Tornado then got an out, but Macey Hughes came up with a single, giving Carson-Newman the 8-7 victory.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: NicKollette Ferguson (1-0) 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO
Losing Pitcher: Carly Turner (0-1) 6.1 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 5 BB, 6 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Eakes and Hughes led the Eagle offense with three hits each as Eakes drove in four runs.
- Madelyn Gillett and Shannon Smith added two hits apiece.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With the game-one win, King handed Carson-Newman their first-ever defeat in a home season-opener. It was also the first Eagles defeat in a season-opener in 10 years and their third in program history.
- In Carson-Newman program history, the Eagles had never given up four home runs in a game. King conquered that feat twice on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
- King is scheduled to face Tiffin University and UVA Wise on Saturday at Tusculum University. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. against Tiffin and 4:00 p.m. against UVA Wise.
- Carson-Newman travels to Mars Hill University on Tuesday.
