BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University softball team split a pair of extra-inning contests against Belmont Abbey College on Saturday. The Crusaders took the win 10-9 in game one before a
Camryn Haag walk-off single gave the Tornado a 12-11 win in game two to settle the score.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Belmont Abbey 10, King 9 ; King 12, Belmont Abbey 11
LOCATION: King Softball Field; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 22-14, 14-6 Conference Carolinas; Belmont Abbey 18-14, 14-6 Conference Carolians
KING HIGHLIGHTS
- Meagan Puckett finished up her regular season career with an impressive day. The senior tallied four hits, two of which were home runs, while driving in six runs and scoring three times.
- Chelsea Sams added a trio of hits and scored three runs, one of which was the game-winning run in game two.
- Haylee Dye and Peyton Day each gave the Tornado major contributions. The duo combined for four hits and six runs batted in in game two, each posting two hits while driving in three.
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- Belmont Abbey opened the contest with four runs in the top of the first. Hailey Gass singled to left field to bring home Sydney Pon.
- Morgan Smith then went yard with a three-run shot to left center.
- Puckett halved the Tornado deficit in the bottom of the second as she sent a two-run shot over the left field wall to circle the pillows and bring home Rikkelle Miller.
- Puckett struck again in the bottom of the third when she doubled down the right field line. A throwing error allowed to her to come all the way home on the play.
- Sams stepped up and sent a solo shot to deep left center to extend the King advantage to 6-4 after three innings of play.
- The Crusaders score six unanswered runs over the next four innings, highlighted by a pair of home runs. Payton Whitley and Madison Sprinkle hit two bombs over the center field wall to give Belmont Abbey a 10-6 lead.
- A late push from the Tornado was sparked by the hot hand all day, Puckett. She ripped her second home run of the game, this time belting a three-run shot to left field that scored Miller and Samantha Helms.
- The comeback was not enough as the Crusaders shut down the remainder of the Tornado lineup and picked up the 10-9 extra-inning victory.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Alannah Browne (5-2) 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
Losing Pitcher: Marleigh Duncan (2-2) 7.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- Unlike game one, it was King that started hot in the day's second contest.
- Azlee Sells doubled to left center in the top of the second. Her extra-base hit brought home Sams for the first run of the game.
- During the next at bat, Dye slapped another double to left center as this one brought home Tinsley Thompson and Sells.
- Whitley made herself known again in the top of the third, lifting a grand slam well over the wall in center field.
- Melissa Neyhouse drove in Katie Allison to give the Crusaders a 5-3 lead after the top half of the fourth.
- King responded, however, plating three runs in the bottom half of inning number four.
- It started when Day singled through the left side to bring home Haag.
- Puckett kept adding to her tally, this time singling to left field to bring in Day and Dye and reclaim the advantage for the Tornado.
- As they did in game one, Belmont Abbey scored six unanswered runs to reclaim a sizeable advantage. Sydney Pon registered a home run and a double in back-to-back at bats to ignite consecutive two-run innings for the Crusaders.
- King came to life in the bottom of the seventh. It started when a bases-loaded single from Haag brought Sams home.
- Day singled up the middle shortly after that to bring in two more runs.
- Again, with the bases loaded, Miller found the whole in the middle and picked up a single that brought home Dye for the game-tying run.
- A big play from Haag to Puckett at third ridded the Crusaders of any real chance of scoring in the top of the eighth.
- Haag answered the call in the bottom half though, picking up another run batted in when she brought in Sams to give the Tornado the walk-off victory and split on the day.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Samantha Helms (1-0) 3.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
Losing Pitcher: Alannah Browne (5-6) 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Payton Whitley paced the Crusaders with six hits, driving in six runs and scoring five times as well.
- Kellee Branham registered five hits, bringing home one run. She also scored twice.
UP NEXT
- Both teams concluded their regular season on Saturday and await the release of the 2021 Conference Carolinas tournament bracket.
