WILSON, N.C. – The King University softball team split with Barton College on Saturday. The Bulldogs held the Tornado to just three hits in a game one 2-0 victory. King survived a late push from Barton in game two to take the game 4-3.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Barton 2, King 0; King 4, Barton 3
LOCATION: Jeffries Field; Wilson, N.C.
RECORDS: King 17-9, 10-4 Conference Carolinas; Barton 12-14, 6-5 Conference Carolinas
SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
- Rikkelle Miller and Peyton Day led the Tornado with three hits apiece. Miller registered a pair of runs batted in as well.
- Meagan Puckett added a pair of hits, one being a double in the second game of the day.
- Erin Foster picked up a hit on the day while also driving in a run and scoring twice.
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- After just one hit between the two teams in the first inning, King created chances in the top of the second.
- A leadoff single from Puckett started things off as the Tornado eventually loaded the bases before Barton got out of trouble and left three King baserunners left stranded.
- Barton broke the deadlock in the bottom of the third after Emily Bell doubled to bring home Morgan Shirley.
- The Bulldogs increased the lead to 2-0, a score that did not change for the rest of the game, in the bottom of the fourth as Sidney Gronowski drove home Kelsey Carroll.
- King struggled from the plate, picking up just one hit in the remaining three innings of game one.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Rilee Jones (8-4) 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 SO
Losing Pitcher: Nikole Counts (9-4) 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- Game two started with a run in the top of the first inning as Foster came home to put the Tornado on the board.
- King added another run in the top of the second. This time it was Foster driving in a run, bring Day home from first base.
- Carly Turner retired the side in order in the bottom of the second to keep the score at 2-0.
- The Tornado doubled their advantage with a pair of runs in the top of the third.
- A triple from Miller drove home Turner and Foster to cap the King side of the scoreboard at four runs.
- Gronowski singled in the bottom of the fourth to bring in Savannah Branch and put the Bulldogs on the board.
- Carroll's leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh sparked a late push from the Bulldogs.
- Marleigh Duncan came in to relieve Turner and retired the first two batters she faced.
- With runners on the corners for Barton, a Tornado fielding error allowed two Bulldog runners to scoot home and make the score 4-3.
- Duncan picked up the final out of the game to leave one Barton baserunner stranded in scoring position and securing the game two win for the Tornado.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Carly Turner (6-4) 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO
Losing Pitcher: AnnaKate Gilchrist (2-10) 3.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO
Save: Marleigh Duncan (4) 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Sloane Correa paced the Bulldogs with three hits on the day.
- Kelsey Carroll added a pair of hits in game two, one of which was a double. She also scored one run on the day.
- Gronowski tallied a pair of runs batted in over the course of both games on Saturday.
UP NEXT
- King travels to Tusculum University on Tuesday with first pitch from Greeneville, Tenn. scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
- Barton remains home for a doubleheader as they host Lees-McRae College on Sunday.
