BELMONT, N.C. --
Hallie Mele had four hits in seven at-bats, driving in three runs, but Belmont Abbey came up short in a Conference Carolinas softball doubleheader against King Saturday afternoon. The Tornado took the opener 7-2 in eight innings, then held off a late rally for a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.
Belmont Abbey falls to 8-9 overall and 0-4 in league play (0-2 Northwest Division), while King improves to 15-11, 2-2, 2-2.
THE OPENER
- The teams battled to a 2-2 tie through seven innings.
- Mele and Bailey Presley each had solo home runs -- Mele's led off the third for a 1-0 lead, while Presley's two-out shot tied the game at 2 in the fifth.
- In the eighth, King capitalized on four hits and an error to plate five runs, then retired the Crusaders 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame to take the contest.
- Mackenzie Allison and Ava Elkins had the other two Crusader hits.
- Starter Adison Yoder took the loss, pitching into the eighth. She walked on and struck out two over 7.2 innings pitched.
THE NIGHTCAP
- Mele was 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs, while freshman Sage Farmer had her third career multi-hit game with a pair of singles. She also walked.
- King used a solo home run in the second and a three-run blast in the third to open a 4-0 lead. The Crusaders cut the deficit in half with a run on an RBI single Mele in its third and an unearned run in the fourth.
- A two-run home run in the fifth pushed the Tornado's lead back to four at 6-2, but a wild pitch and consecutive hit batters (Sadler Gwynn and Mele) with the bases loaded cut the deficit to 6-5 after five.
- In the seventh, the first two batters singled before a sacrifice bunt moved the runners up 60 feet. After the second out, Mele walked to load the bases, but Presley lined out to end the game.
- Starting pitcher Jenna Goldey took the loss in her first career varsity appearance. She allowed only three hits, and three walks, but four runs in 2.2 innings.
UP NEXT
- Belmont Abbey stays in division play on Tuesday when it travels to Banner Elk to face Lees-McRae.
- The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.
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