DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The King University softball team split a pair of games on Sunday at the University of North Georgia. The Tornado fell to the fifth-ranked hosts 8-1 before bouncing back behind three home runs to defeat Florida Southern College 8-2.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: #5 North Georgia 8, King 1; King 8, Florida Southern 2
LOCATION: Lynn Cottrell Park; Dahlonega, Ga.
RECORDS: King 1-3; North Georgia 4-1; Florida Southern 2-2
KING HIGHLIGHTS
- 2022 All-American Rikkelle Miller made her season debut in game two and ripped two home runs, including a grand slam. She went 4-for-4 with six runs batted in and two runs scored.
- Tinsley Thompson ripped a home run in game two and scored twice.
- Haylee Dye scored a pair of runs against Florida Southern.
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- Jessica Campbell was hit by a pitch to start the contest, but was stranded there.
- North Georgia posted two hits in the opening inning before Carly Turner recorded the final two outs to keep the game scoreless.
- Thompson started the third inning with a double and moved to third on a Campbell sacrifice bunt.
- Thompson then scored on a strikeout to give King the 1-0 lead.
- However, North Georgia started the bottom of the inning with a single, followed by a stolen base and double to even the score.
- The Nighthawks added another run before Hannah Forehand ripped a three-run home run, giving North Georgia a 5-1 lead.
- Peyton Day started the fourth inning for King with a double, but was left there.
- North Georgia added two back-to-back run scoring hits, a single and a double in the fourth.
- The Nighthawks stretched the lead to 8-1, manufacturing a run with a leadoff walk, stolen base and two groundouts in the fifth.
- The Tornado couldn't get a rally going in the final two innings as North Georgia took the contest 8-1.
FOR THE FOES
- Sophie Mooney and Mallory Parker posted two hits apiece while Mooney scored twice and drove in two.
- Jolie Lester and Madi Perry added two hits each.
- Forehand drove in three.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Tybee Denton (3-0) 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO
Losing Pitcher: Carly Turner (0-1) 3.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- The game's first hitter, Kelsey Peck hit a home run to give Florida Southern an early 1-0 lead.
- The Tornado responded in the bottom of the inning as Haylee Dye was hit by a pitch. She later scored following back-to-back singles from Turner and Miller to even the game.
- Florida Southern regained the lead with a sacrifice fly in the second, but Savana Luper left a pair of runners on to keep King within 2-1.
- In the bottom of the inning it was Thompson with the answer for King as she ripped a home run to even the score.
- Miller then laced a home run in the third, giving King a 3-2 lead.
- King escaped a jam in the fourth, and the offense extended the lead in the bottom of the inning.
- Turner drew a bases loaded walk to push one across before Miller crushed a home run, extending the Tornado lead to 8-2.
- The Moccasins put two runners on in the fifth, but Luper again got out of the inning.
- King loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth, but couldn't push across any runs.
- Marliegh Duncan worked the final two innings in the circle for the Tornado, allowing two base runners to give King the 8-2 victory.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Savana Luper (1-0) 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO
Losing Pitcher: Ashley Blessin (1-1) 3.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Peck drove in a pair while Jessica Brys posted two hits on the day.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The win gives King head coach Kyleigh Payne her first career win.
UP NEXT
- King takes on Florida Southern again on Monday at 10:00 a.m. in Dahlonega before taking on the Nighthawks at 2:00 p.m.
- The Moccasins also face North Georgia at 12:00 p.m. on Monday.
