SALISBURY, MD (March 17, 2024) -- In their night cap of their opening day in Salisbury's Margie Knight Softball Tournament, the King's College softball team battled with a strong New York University squad before falling, 8-0, at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex. The Monarchs drop to 6-4 overall, while the Violets improved to 2-2.
 
It was a close game early as NYU (2-2) got on the board in the top of the fifth on a two-out RBI double, but Kara Krouse made a great snag in center to limit the Violets to just one run as the Monarchs trailed, 1-0.
 
The game saw just two more hits in the next two innings, a two-out single in the bottom of the first from Ellie Higdon and a two-out single in the third from Megan Mitola, but King's (6-4) could not capitalize as the Monarchs continued to trail, 1-0, after three innings of play.
 
A lead off double from NYU in the top of the fourth sparked the Violets' offense, plating three runs in both the fourth and fifth, to jump ahead 7-0 over the Monarchs.
 
Brandi McIntosh and the Monarchs defense locked in for the top of the sixth, retiring all three including one strikeout for the senior, but despite back-to-back hits from Mitola and Jessica Perella and a hit by pitch by Higdon to lead off the bottom of the frame, the King's bats failed to deliver a run as the game entered the final inning with the deficit still at 7-0.
 
NYU tacked on an additional insurance run in the top of the eighth, and the Violets defense kept King's at bay in the bottom of the inning as the Monarchs dropped the 8-0 final on Saturday night on day one of the Margie Knight Softball Tournament.
 
Mitola led King's as she went 2-for-3, and Perella and Higdon added the two remaining hits for the Monarchs in the setback. Courtney Grogan was awarded the loss as the starter, throwing the first 3.0 innings, while McIntosh threw well in the final two innings in relief, limiting the Violets to one run on one hit.
 
Lindsey Baron led NYU as she went 3-for-4 with three doubles, three runs, and an RBI, while Alyssa Quary drove in four runs for the Violets. Karleigh Kluever went the distance in the circle, posting the complete-game shutout.
 
King's is back on the field this morning as they take on Carnegie Mellon at 11:00 a.m. and Manhattanville College at 3:30 p.m. at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex.