BRISTOL, TENN..- The Concord University softball team dropped two games at King University on Wednesday in the first matchup between the two schools since 2012.
Concord's record evens at 8-8, while King improves to 12-8 overall.
GAME 1: King 9 – Concord 5
Leading 5-4 going to the bottom of the sixth, Concord saw King plate five runs in the frame as the Tornado took a four-run lead en route to a 9-5 win.
King jumped out to an early lead after a double from Kay Brokering down the left field line scored Hannah Riddle to give the Tornado a 1-0 lead after one inning.
Concord answered with a run of its own in the top of the second inning after junior third baseman
Alycea Watson continued her strong run of form at the plate, doubling home sophomore outfielder/pitcher
Abby Beatty to even the score at one.
King regained the lead after scoring two runs in the bottom of the third to make the score 3-1.
Concord took hold of the lead shortly afterwards, scoring three runs in the top of the fourth inning to lead 4-3 heading into the bottom of the inning.
The scoring in the fourth inning was highlighted by singles from Beatty and Watson, which scored senior outfielder
Lauren Lewis and senior third baseman
Courtney Purtell, respectively. Senior pitcher
Allie Reid tallied Concord's other RBI of the inning on a groundout that scored Beatty from third.
King tied the game at four with a run scored in the bottom of the fifth.
The Mountain Lions reclaimed the lead in the top of the sixth after Beatty reached on a fielder's choice that scored freshman second baseman/shortstop
Jenna Witt and gave CU a 5-4 advantage.
King grabbed the lead for good after scoring five runs in the sixth to win game one 9-5 after holding off CU in the top of the seventh.
Watson finished with two hits, the second time in her last three games with two hits or more.
Senior shortstop
Alayna Furr extended her hitting streak to 20 games, tying her career-high, after going 2-for-3 from the plate.
Beatty finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.
GAME 2: King 3 – Concord 1
With the score tied at 1-1 going into the fifth inning, King scored two decisive runs to take game two from the Mountain Lions.
King took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of second inning after an Olivia Lawson double brought home Kaycee Casteel.
After a scoreless third, senior pitcher/outfielder
Sarah Herndon singled to left center to score Lewis and tie the game at 1-1.
King broke the deadlock and made the score 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth after a two RBI double from Kay Brokering scored Danielle Parks and Hayley Smothers.
The Tornado held on throughout the final two Concord at-bats to win 3-1 and take the series.
Herndon finished with two hits in two at-bats for CU, her first multi-hit game of 2017. Purtell, Beatty, and Witt had Concord's other hits in the game.
Concord travels to Clermont, Florida for eight games beginning with a matchup against Indianapolis on March 11.
