Bristol, Tenn. — King University secured its second Conference Carolinas series win of the season on Saturday, using a furious sixth-inning rally to claim the opener 7–5 before falling 6–5 in an 11-inning heartbreaker in the nightcap. The Tornado leave the weekend with a 2–1 series victory and continued signs of offensive growth as they prepare for a midweek non-conference matchup at Mars Hill.
Game One: Sixth-Inning Surge Powers King to 7–5 Win
Erskine came out swinging in the opener, plating three runs in the first inning behind RBI hits from Pierce Radke and Danny Villafane. A fielder's-choice RBI in the second extended the Flying Fleet lead to 4–0, putting King in an early hole.
Tornado Chip Away
King broke through in the fourth when Kenny Hirschfeld lifted a sacrifice fly to score Kale Richardson, trimming the deficit to 4–1. But Erskine added a run on a wild pitch in the sixth, pushing the lead back to 5–1 and setting the stage for the game's defining moment.
King Erupts for Six in the Sixth
The Tornado offense exploded in the bottom half of the inning, turning a four-run deficit into a two-run lead in a matter of minutes.
- Josh Nuno drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 5–2.
- Adrian Vidal followed with an RBI single to left.
- Jose Ruiz delivered the biggest swing of the inning — a two-run double to left that tied the game 5–5.
- Logan Janney capped the rally with a two-run single, giving King a 7–5 advantage.
From there, Rohde Kirkland settled in to finish six innings with six strikeouts, earning the win. Jonathan Webster worked a clean seventh for his fourth save, sealing the comeback.
Game One Offensive Leaders
Game Two: Erskine Outlasts King 6–5 in 11 Innings
The second game delivered all the tension of a series finale, with both teams trading blows deep into extra innings before Erskine finally edged ahead.
Early Action
Erskine struck first on a Noah Hill solo homer in the third, but King answered immediately when Kale Richardson doubled home Logan Janney to tie the game 1–1.
The Flying Fleet regained control with a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth, highlighted by a Drew Potts triple and a Mason McManus RBI single. King continued to claw back — Tommy Regan's RBI single in the fifth and Justin Smith's RBI knock in the sixth kept the Tornado within striking distance.
Ninth-Inning Drama
Trailing 4–3 in the ninth, King forced extras when Kenny Hirschfeld lined a game-tying RBI single to center. The Tornado nearly walked it off, but a close play at the plate cut down the potential winning run.
Erskine Breaks Through in the 11th
Noah Hill delivered again, launching his second home run of the game to put Erskine ahead 5–4. A throwing error later in the inning allowed another run to score, extending the lead to 6–4.
King refused to go quietly — Mitchell Victor doubled home a run in the bottom half — but the rally ended with the tying run stranded.
Game Two Offensive Leaders
Series Takeaways
King's offense continued its upward trend, collecting 21 hits across the doubleheader and showing resilience in both games. The Tornado bullpen delivered strong stretches, and the team's ability to respond to adversity — especially in the opener — proved decisive in securing the series.
Up Next
King steps out of conference play on Wednesday, March 18, traveling to Mars Hill for a 3 p.m. matchup as they look to build on their series win and carry momentum into the heart of the season.
