DUNCAN, S.C. – The top seeded King University softball team only needed on run to defeat fifth seeded Francis Marion University for the second time in three days.
Nikole Counts tossed a two-hit shutout and
Rikkelle Miller hit a home run to give King the 1-0 victory over the Patriots and the Conference Carolinas Tournament title.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: No. 1 King 1, No. 5 Francis Marion 0
LOCATION: Tyger River Park; Duncan, S.C.
RECORDS: King 41-15; Francis Marion 33-20
TIME OF GAME: 1:19
KING HIGHLIGHTS
- Carly Turner, Miller and Haylee Dye all posted hits for the Tornado.
- Miller ripped her second home run of the tournament and 15th of the season.
- Counts tossed her second straight complete game as she struck out two on 95 pitches.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Tornado put runners on second and third in the first inning on singles from Turner and Dye, but that was it.
- Francis Marion had runners on second and third with one out in the second, but Counts induced a groundout and lineout to escape the jam.
- Milled led off the fourth inning with a home run, giving King the 1-0 advantage.
- The Patriots threatened again in the sixth with two runners and one out.
- But Counts induced a pair of groundouts to get out of the inning.
- Counts then got three straight groundouts in the seventh, giving King the 1-0 victory.
FOR THE FOES
- Grace Trautman and Jemica Hemingway posted hits for Francis Marion.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Nikole Counts (19-7) 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO
Losing Pitcher: Rachel Davis (15-8) 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- King has extended their school-record winning streak to 15 games.
- This is King's third Conference Carolinas Tournament title. The others came in 2012 and 2018.
- It's the first time since 2015 the top seed has won the Conference Carolinas Tournament.
- King has posted their first 40-win season in program history as Sunday's victory was their 41st of the season.
- Camryn Haag and Miller were selected to the all-tournament team while Counts was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
UP NEXT
- King also earns the automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Softball Championship.
- The selection show will take place on Monday, May 9 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
