Box Score BRISTOL, Tenn. – The Barton baseball team (8-9, 0-4) fell to King (Tenn.) (11-5, 4-0), 5-3, in a Conference Carolinas series opener Saturday afternoon at Tornado Field.
King's Hunter Barbour (Union Hall, Va.) drove in all five runs for the home team including the game-tying, two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning and game-winning, two-run single in the sixth frame as the Tornado rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take the win
Barton senior outfielder Noah Almond (Raleigh, N.C.) hit a solo home run in the second inning – his team-leading fifth of the year – and freshman designated hitter Ethan Davis (Rocky Mount, N.C.) scored twice in the losing effort.
On the mound, King's Avery Cain (Thomasville, N.C.) improved to 3-1 after earning the victory while Nic Blankenship (Collierville, Tenn.) pitched two and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief for his first save of the year. Barton freshman Gentry Fortuno (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) (2-2) suffered the loss despite 10 strikeouts.
The two teams will wrap up the weekend series with a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 11:30 a.m.
