BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University softball team picked up a pair of Conference Carolinas victories over Southern Wesleyan University on Friday. Two of the top pitching staffs in the league went toe to toe with the Tornado prevailing 2-0 in game one and in walk-off fashion in game two for a 4-3 victory.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: King 2, Southern Wesleyan 0; King 4, Southern Wesleyan 3
LOCATION: King Softball Field; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 12-6, 5-3 Conference Carolinas; Southern Wesleyan 10-6, 4-2 Conference Carolinas
KING HIGHLIGHTS
- Carly Turner led the Tornado with three hits on the day, one of which was a home run in game two. She also drove in three runs and scored twice.
- Haylee Dye posted three hits on the day, going 3-for-3 with one double.
- Chelsea Sams added a pair of hits, including her walk-off double that drove in Brianna Harbin to end game two
- Nikole Counts registered 10 strikeouts in game one, setting a career-high.
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- Counts got the Tornado off to a good start with a 1-2-3 top of the first inning.
- Samantha Helms then started the bottom of the inning with a single, and following an out, a Turner single put two runners on.
- However, Warrior pitcher Megan Vaughn got out of the inning with a foul out and strikeout.
- Sothern Wesleyan threatened in the second, with a pair of two out runners, but Counts got out of the inning.
- Counts again stranded a pair in the fourth inning to keep the Warriors off the board.
- The Tornado offense was stymied by Vaughn following the first inning as the Tornado only had one baserunner until the sixth inning.
- Meagan Puckett worked a one-out walk before Turner and Miller laced back-to-back doubles to give King a 2-0 lead.
- The Tornado then loaded the bases, but Vaughn got out of the inning, keeping the King lead at 2-0.
- Counts made those two runs standup as she got the final three outs in the seventh inning for her first career shutout, giving King the 2-0 victory.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Nikole Counts (7-2) 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 SO
Losing Pitcher: Megan Vaughn (3-1) 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 SO
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- King grabbed the lead in the first inning as Foster started the contest with a triple and scored on a fielder's choice.
- Turner then ripped a home run to right field, giving King a 3-0 lead.
- The Warriors threatened in the second, but Turner stranded a pair of runners to keep the Tornado ahead.
- King loaded the bases in the second on a single from Dye, a walk and hit by pitch, but couldn't push any runs across.
- Southern Wesleyan got on the board with a Savannah Huff home run in the third inning, cutting the King lead to 3-1.
- The Warriors evened the tally at 3-3 in the fifth inning with a pair of runs, the second unearned.
- The scored remained the same until the seventh inning when Miller started a two-out rally with a walk.
- Harbin pinch ran for Miller and scored as Helms ripped a double down the left field line, giving King the 4-3 win.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Marleigh Duncan (2-1) 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
Losing Pitcher: Delanie Laudenbacher (4-2) 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Savannah Huff posted two hits for the Warriors on the day, hitting a solo home run over the right field wall in game two.
- Addi Johnson also tallied a pair of hits, going a perfect 2-for-2 on the day.
UP NEXT
- King hosts North Greenville University on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
- Southern Wesleyan travels to Lees-McRae College on Saturday.
