BRISTOL, TENN.- The Converse Softball was handed two Conference Carolinas losses on Sunday afternoon by King University falling 3-0 and 11-2 (5). Converse drops to 4-12 on the season overall and 1-3 in league play.

Bri Putnam (Chesnee, S.C.) led Converse offensively going 3-6 at the plate.  Anna Bennett (Fulton, Md.) went 2-3 with a double and a RBI in game two while Tristan Harvey (Anacoco, La.) went 2-3 in game one.

Marissa Steadman (Roebuck, S.C.) took the loss in both games pitching 8.2 innings picking up six strikeouts along the way.

Converse returns home on Saturday, March 12 to face Montreat in non-conference action.

Game One: Converse 0, King 3

Converse started off game one with a single up the middle by Maddison Lukens (Chandler, Ariz.) followed by a King error putting Lukens into scoring position.  A double play ended the inning for the Valkyries.

Both teams picked up hits through the first two innings but nothing ensued until King broke the scoreless game in the bottom of the third inning.

King started off the inning with a hit by pitch.  A Valkyrie error allowed the runner to score as well as the batter to score to take a 2-0 advantage.

The Tornado tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth on a solo shot.

Converse mounted a rally in the top of the seventh but was unable to scratch across a run.  Bri Putnam started off the inning with a single to left center.  Tristan Harvey reached on an infield single.  Kelsie Land (Keller, Texas) moved both runners up sixty feet on the sacrifice bunt.  A hard shot by Morgan Marlow (Murrells Inlet, S.C.) was snagged at the hot corner to keep the Valkyries from scoring.

Game Two: Converse 2, King 11 (5 innings)

King started off the bottom of the first scratching across the first run of the second game on a sacrifice fly to left field.

The Valkyries would knot things up at 1-all in the top of the third inning picking up two hits and a walk.  Maddy Lukens reached on an infield single to shortstop before moving to second on the wild pitch.  Tristan Harvey reached on a walk.  Shelby Bullock (Horseshoe Beach, Fla.) moved Lukens and Harvey up on the ground out.  Anna Bennett knotted things on the RBI single.

The Tornado responded in the bottom half of the inning posting four runs off two long balls to move out in front 5-1.

Converse was able to scratch back to pick up a run in the top of the fourth inning.  Bri Putnam singled up the middle followed by Mckayla Davis (Concord, N.C.) and Kelsie Land singled through the right side of the infield to load the bases for Marlow.  Morgan Marlow drew the bases loaded walk to bring in the run.  A strikeout and two ground outs would end the rally for Converse in the inning.

King added insurance in the bottom of the fourth inning scoring six runs starting the inning with back-to-back Valkyrie miscues to start the Tornado rally.

Anna Bennett doubled down the left field line to start the top of the fifth and found her way to third on the wild pitch but was stranded there as King took game two 11-2.