BRISTOL, Tenn. — King University baseball opened its Conference Carolinas series with a strong all-around performance on Friday afternoon, riding early offense and steady pitching to a 9–3 win over Barton at the King Baseball Complex. The victory moves the Tornado to 1–0 in league play and 1–0 in the series heading into Saturday's doubleheader.
Game One: King 9, Barton 3
Early Power Surges Put King in Command
The Tornado wasted no time setting the tone, striking for three runs in the first inning. Tommy Regan delivered the big swing, launching a three-run homer to left that scored Kale Richardson and Misael Garcia for an immediate 3–0 lead.
King added two more in the second. Jose Ruiz ripped an RBI double down the left-field line to score Adrian Vidal, and Logan Janney followed with an RBI groundout to push the advantage to 5–0.
Middle-Inning Pressure Extends the Lead
The Tornado kept applying pressure in the fourth. Kale Richardson singled home Janney, and Regan continued his dominant day with an RBI double to right, stretching the margin to 7–0.
After Barton cut the lead to 7–2 in the sixth, King responded immediately. Misael Garcia punched a two-run single up the middle, scoring Josh Nuno and Janney to restore a comfortable 9–2 cushion.
Hale Deals, Bullpen Closes the Door
Ben Hale turned in one of his strongest outings of the season, earning the win to move to 2–2. The right-hander struck out eight over 5.2 innings, allowing just four hits and two earned runs while working around four hit-by-pitches.
Dylan Willis and Kade Pomeroy combined for the final 3.1 innings, allowing only one run and keeping Barton from mounting a late threat.
Game One Offensive Highlights
- Tommy Regan: 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, R
- Misael Garcia: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, R
- Kale Richardson: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 R, SB
- Josh Nuno: 2-for-4, 2B, R, SB
- Logan Janney: 1-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB
- King totaled 12 hits, including five doubles and one home run, while stealing four bases.
Barton's Offense Limited Despite Late Push
The Bulldogs managed eight hits but struggled to string them together. G. Seidita doubled home two runs in the sixth, and G. Melo added an RBI single in the seventh, but Barton never brought the tying run to the plate after the fourth inning.
What Stood Out
- King scored seven runs in the first four innings to seize control early.
- The Tornado pitching staff combined for nine strikeouts and allowed just three earned runs.
- King played a clean defensive game with zero errors, while Barton committed none but struggled to contain extra-base damage.
- The middle of King's order—Garcia, Richardson, Regan—combined for six hits and seven RBI.
Up Next
The Tornado and Bulldogs return to the diamond on Saturday, February 28, for a doubleheader in Bristol. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m., with Game Two to follow at approximately 3 p.m.
