BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University softball team opened their season on Wednesday against 2022 regional host Lenoir-Rhyne University, who is receiving votes in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Preseason Poll. The Tornado offense was slowed by a pair Bear pitchers as Lenoir-Rhyne took the doubleheader 2-0 and 8-1.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: RV Lenoir-Rhyne 2, King 0; RV Lenoir-Rhyne 8, King 1
LOCATION: King Softball Field; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 0-2; Lenoir-Rhyne 4-0
KING HIGHLIGHTS
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- Cassidy Wall started the second inning for Lenoir-Rhyne with a home run to left field.
- Following two outs, back-to-back doubles from Faith Carrigan and Lora Beth Wood gave the Bears a 2-0 lead.
- Day ripped a one-out double in the second, but was left there as Lauren Rakes retired the next two hitters for the Tornado.
- King put two runners on in the third, but again Rakes escaped unscathed.
- The Tornado had a baserunner in each inning except the first inning and the seventh inning as Rakes retired the side in the seventh to hand King the 2-0 defeat.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Lauren Rakes (2-0) 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 SO
Losing Pitcher: Madison Walter (0-1) 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- The first four Bear hitters recorded hits before a groundout scored the second run. A single from Wood gave the Bears a 3-0 lead after the top of the first inning.
- Campbell started the bottom of the inning with a single and reached second on an error. She later scored on another Bear miscue.
- However, the Tornado stranded runners on the corners and trailed 3-1.
- Katelyn Rackard laced a two-run home run in the second, stretching the Bear lead to 5-1.
- In the third, Graleigh Hildebran lace a two-run single before a run-scoring double from Julia Mardigian gave the Bears an 8-1 lead.
- Dye started the third inning for the Tornado with a double, but was stranded there as Morgan Beeler retired the next three batters.
- Lawson tried to get a rally going for the Tornado with a leadoff double in the seventh, but Beeler retired the next three hitters, giving Lenoir-Rhyne the 8-1 win.
- Marleigh Duncan pitched well in relief, allowing now runs on five hits in four and two-thirds innings.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Morgan Beeler (1-0) 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO
Losing Pitcher: Nikole Counts (0-1) 2.1 IP, 11 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Rackard and Hildebran each drove in two while Rackard scored a pair on two hits.
- Mardigian talled three hits on the day while five Bears posted two hits apiece.
UP NEXT
- King returns to action on Saturday and Sunday at the University of North Georgia. The Tornado will take on Florida Southern College on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and fifth-ranked North Georgia at 12:00 p.m.
- Lenoir-Rhyne hosts West Chester University, Davis & Elkins College and Bluefield State University this weekend.
