ARKADELPHIA, Ark.—Sophomore first baseman
Casey King (Flower Mound, Texas, Flower Mound HS) blasted a three-run game-winning home run in the top of the seventh inning in the first game of the Christian Brothers University Lady Bucs' doubleheader with Henderson State to open their Gulf South Conference West Division schedule.
King's homer broke a 1-1 tie as the Lady Bucs (9-5, 1-1 GSC West) won the opener 4-1, but the Lady Reddies (14-11, 4-2) claimed a 10-1 win in the nightcap.
The Lady Reddies used a walk, a sacrifice bunt, and an error in the first inning to score the game's first run, and for five more innings, it seemed like enough for victory.
With two outs and none on in the top of the seventh,
Kathleen Nelson (Bartlett, Tenn./Bolton HS) hit a single. #Victoria Mathews followed with a single, and Nelson scored on a
Jessica Ambers (Collierville, Tenn./Collierville HS) double. King followed with the three-run blast, and after an error and a double to start the inning, three straight
Nikki Dunn (Southaven, Miss./Southaven HS) strikeouts slammed the door on the victory.
Dunn (8-1) struck out 11 as she allowed one unearned run on two hits and three walks in seven innings. King finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Nelson also went 2-for-3.
The Lady Reddies wasted no time in the nightcap, scoring three runs in the first inning.
The Lady Bucs closed the gap by a run in the fourth as
Kallie McFatter (Mansfield, Texas/Summit HS) reached on a fielder's choice. An
Alyse Brewer (Florence, Ala./Florence HS) double moved her to third, and she scored on a
Brooke Davis (Southaven, Miss./Southaven HS) groundout.
The Lady Reddies answered with a Kayla Lucas homer in the bottom of the inning, and they blew it open with a four-run fifth. The game was called on the eight-run rule after Heather Canerday's sixth-inning two-run homer gave the Lady Reddies a 10-1 lead.
Brewer went 2-for-2 in the nightcap.
The Lady Bucs and Lady Reddies meet again Monday afternoon at 1 p.m. as they make up Saturday's rainout.
