BRISTOL, Tenn. – The Emory & Henry College Baseball Team (1-9) fell in non-conference action to King (Tenn.) University (5-7) Wednesday afternoon. The Tornado topped the Wasps by a 12-9 final score. 

The Basics
FINAL SCORE – King (Tenn.) 12, Emory & Henry 9
LOCATION – Bristol, Tennessee
VENUE – King Baseball Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (1-9, 0-3 SAC); King (Tenn.) (5-7, 0-0 Carolinas)

How It Happened
The Tornado was first on the board as they tallied seven runs on four hits, four hit batters and an E&H error to take the early 7-0 lead. The Wasps answered back in the top of the third inning when senior third baseman Jared Foley (Sparta, N.C.) led off with a double, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly from fifth-year outfielder Jermie Greene, Jr. (Troutman, N.C.) to make it 7-1. Senior outfielder Matt Hill (Pineville, N.C.), junior first baseman Jacob Bebber (Taylorsville, N.C.) and junior designated hitter Steven Smith (Salisbury, N.C.) all drew walks to load the bases and freshman catcher Nick Morris (Mint Hill, N.C.) came up with a two-RBI single. Freshman shortstop Anthony Umbach (Harrisburg, N.C.) followed with another RBI single and the Wasps reduced the deficit to just three at 7-4. 

Emory & Henry added another in the top of the fourth after a single from fifth-year outfielder Tyler Bradley (Bessemer City, N.C.), Greene, Jr. was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch and Bebber delivered an RBI groundout to make it 7-5. Morris and Umbach led off the top of the fifth with back-to-back singles and Foley came up with a run-scoring base hit. Hill was drilled by a pitch and Bradley drew a bases-loaded walk to level the game at 7-7. King jumped back in front in the bottom of the fifth with a run on a pair of hits and tacked on another with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 9-7 ballgame. 

E&H struck again in the top of the eighth inning. Hill led off the inning with a base on balls and scampered around the bases to score on an RBI triple from Bradley. Greene, Jr. drove a long ball into the outfield for a sacrifice fly to even the game once more at 9-9. King took the lead for the final time in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring three times on just one hit and three E&H miscues to establish a 12-9 lead. The Wasps were set down in order in the top of the ninth as King took the win by the 12-9 final. 

Mitchell Kahlenberg earned the win on the mound for King as he threw 1 ⅓ scoreless in relief. Junior righty Nickolas Kalaflut (Santa Cruz, Calif.) took the loss for E&H after allowing three runs, two unearned, on just one hit over ⅓ of an inning. Morris, Greene, Jr. and Bradley paced the Wasps with two RBIs each. Foley, Bebber and Umbach each drove in a run in the loss. 

Up Next
The Wasps welcome the Saints of Limestone University to Porterfield-DeVault Field on Friday, February 23 for the 2024 home opener. Game one of the three-game South Atlantic Conference set is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.. 

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