BRISTOL, Tenn. — King University softball opened Friday's doubleheader with a composed 4–1 victory over West Liberty before engaging in a high-scoring, back-and-forth battle with Malone, ultimately falling 8–6. The Tornado move to 5–3 on the season, continuing to showcase clean defense, competitive at-bats, and strong pitching performances across the board.
GAME ONE: King 4, West Liberty 1
Tornado Capitalize Early to Build a Lead
King wasted no time applying pressure in the opening inning, taking advantage of two West Liberty miscues to jump ahead 3–0.
Yuleesa Kennedy scored the game's first run on a dropped fly ball in right field, and moments later
Grace Shary delivered a two-run single through the left side, plating
Aviah Bunsic and
Aubrey King.
The early cushion set the tone for the rest of the game.
Meeks Dominant Once Again
Sophomore right-hander
Kaylee Meeks continued her outstanding start to the season, firing a complete-game three-hitter with eight strikeouts and no walks. She faced just 24 batters, induced seven groundouts, and allowed only one run — which scored on a caught-stealing sequence in the fifth.
Meeks improved to
3–0 on the season and has yet to allow more than one earned run in any outing.
Insurance Run Helps Seal the Win
King added a key insurance run in the fifth when
Olesia Walch scored on a dropped fly ball in center field, pushing the lead to 4–1. The Tornado finished with six hits and played
error-free defense, securing their fifth win of the year.
Game One Offensive Highlights
GAME TWO: Malone 8, King 6
Tornado Strike First, But Malone Answers
King again opened the scoring, this time in the first inning when
Yuleesa Kennedy singled to center to score
Aviah Bunsic. Malone responded with a three-run second inning and added runs in the third and fourth to take a 5–2 lead.
Winge Sparks the Offense With Three-RBI Performance
The Tornado offense came alive behind
Giana Winge, who delivered her best performance of the season. She singled home
Sophia Waters in the second, doubled to center to score Waters again in the fourth, and later added a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Winge finished
3-for-3 with a double, three RBI, and a sac fly, accounting for half of King's runs.
King Rallies Late to Stay in It
Trailing 6–3 in the sixth, King mounted a comeback. A fielding error allowed Winge to score, and
Carlie Sheets followed with an RBI single to bring home Bunsic, cutting the deficit to 6–5.
Malone added two in the seventh, but King answered once more when
Ella Richey scored on Winge's sac fly. The Tornado brought the tying run to the plate before Malone closer
S. McCaw secured the save.
Game Two Offensive Highlights
King tallied
12 hits and played
error-free defense for the seventh straight game.
Pitching Notes
- Riley Lamb made the start, working 3.2 innings with two strikeouts.
- Makayla Ramsey provided 2.1 innings of relief.
- Kaylee Meeks, fresh off her Game One win, tossed a clean seventh inning with one strikeout.
A Day Defined by Offense, Pressure, and Poise
Across both games, King showcased:
- A complete-game gem from Meeks
- 18 total hits across the doubleheader
- Zero defensive errors on the day
- Multiple late-inning rallies
- Strong production from the top and middle of the order
The Tornado continued to demonstrate resilience and competitive consistency as the early season progressed.
Up Next
King returns to action on
Saturday, Feb. 14, facing both West Liberty and Malone again. First pitch is scheduled for
10:00 a.m. ET.
