• Game One Score: King (Tenn.) 9, Davis & Elkins 0
• Records: King (1-0); Davis & Elkins (0-1)
• Location: King Softball Field – Bristol, Tenn.

• Scoring multiple runs in each of the first four innings, King was aggressive at the plate throughout the lineup. Sydney Bailey laced a double to the wall, scoring two in the third inning to chase D&E starter Haley Grindstaff from the game and put the hosts ahead 7-0.

• Honesty Holt picked up her first collegiate hit with a base knock in the first inning. King put its first two batters on base, and both would come around to score as the hosts jumped out to a 2-0 lead.
• The Tornado added two more runs in the second, one off an error and another off a sharply-hit single. Bailey's double off the wall made it 7-0 and a two-run homer in the fourth lifted King ahead 9-0.

• Holt, Rhetta Persinger and Ryn Boelter collected the three hits for D&E.
• Ava Willis tossed strikes on 11 of her 14 pitches in 1.1 innings of relief.
• Despite not scoring any runs, D&E used a patient approach at the plate to grind out several long at-bats, particularly in the second frame.
• King has recorded 30 or more wins in three consecutive seasons.

• Game Two Score: Davis & Elkins 3, King (Tenn.) 2
• Records: Davis & Elkins (1-1), King (1-1)
• Location: King Softball Field – Bristol, Tenn.

• Scuffling offensively throughout the afternoon, Davis & Elkins got back on track with a line-drive shot over the left center wall by Persinger to tie the contest at two in the fifth inning.

• King got on the board first once again with a single to center for a 1-0 lead. Ryn Boelter tried to help her own cause with a leadoff double in the second, but King pitcher Emma Hughes answered with three consecutive strikeouts to end the threat.
• Casey Gilbert cracked her second home run of the day for a 2-0 King lead in the third.
• Davis & Elkins answered in the top half of the fifth, beginning with a leadoff single to center from Holt. Two batters later, Persinger belted one over the scoreboard in left center to tie the game at two.
• After Boelter retired the side in order in the fourth, D&E got back to work offensively in the fifth inning. After hustling to reach on an error, Sydney Carter swiped second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Amy Fincham. Carter eventually tagged and scored on a deep sacrifice fly to center from Kelsie Millner, pushing the Senators ahead 3-2.
• Davis & Elkins used a timely double play to end the fifth and Boelter sent down the King lineup in order during the sixth inning. Jenna Evans came in for the seventh inning and picked up the save to close out the game.

• Persinger hit the 16th home run of her career on Saturday.
• Boelter transitioned to pitcher this season and the results in her first appearance were impressive. She allowed just two runs in six innings, striking out two while also collecting a double at the plate in the second.
• Holt, Persinger and Boelter all started the season with a hit in each game.

• Davis & Elkins continues its trip to Tennessee on Monday, February 10 with a road doubleheader at Tusclum, beginning at 12:00 PM.

Honesty Holt with a strike to catch the runner stealing in the third. pic.twitter.com/30XtGSAlgu

— D&E Softball (@SenatorsSB) February 9, 2020

T4 | Rhetta Persinger with a towering two-run shot to tie the game up in the fourth inning! pic.twitter.com/Ng6QOtBGVR

— D&E Softball (@SenatorsSB) February 9, 2020

Senators WIN! Davis & Elkins ends its opening day with a 3-2 victory in game two against King (Tenn.) on Sunday.

?? Boelter: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K | 1-3, 2B
?? Persinger: 1-3, HR, 2 RBI
?? Holt: 1-3, 1 RS
?? Carter: 1 RS, 1 SB
?? Millner: SAC, 1 RBI
?? Fincham: 1-2, SAC pic.twitter.com/UVonLS1iDe

— D&E Softball (@SenatorsSB) February 9, 2020