WISE, Va. – UVa-Wise softball earned a 4-3 win over King University in game one of Thursday afternoon's doubleheader after a walk-off home run by senior second baseman Alexa Hernandez (Woodbridge, Va.). The Cavaliers (9-8) were then defeated 12-8 in game two as the visiting Tornado (7-13) made 16 hits in the high-scoring affair.
 
Out of the two teams' combined 12 hits in game one, six were home runs as both the Cavs and the Tornado recorded three dingers. Trailing through five inning, the Cavs scored a run in both the bottom of the sixth and seventh to earn the victory.
 
A Jennifer Kern solo shot over the center field wall gave the Tornado a 1-0 lead in the first inning before King went up 2-0 in the second after Morgan Lowe crushed a one-run homer down the left field line.
 
The Cavs got on the board when Hernandez hit her first home run of the game over the center field wall in the bottom of the fourth. However, King would go up by two runs once again in the top of the fifth after Kaycee Casteel hit a solo home run over center field.
 
UVa-Wise made it a one-run game in the bottom of the inning as sophomore first baseman Monica Brandts (King George, Va.) got her first hit of the year, a solo home run over the right center field wall. The Cavs then tied up the game in the sixth after freshman left fielder Shannon Bennett (Covington, Va.) doubled to right center for a RBI, allowing freshman center fielder Ava Hockey (Virginia Beach, Va.) to score.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Hernandez drilled the solo walk-off home run over the center field wall to give the Cavs game one.
 
Hernandez led the Cavs, going 2-for-2 at the plate with the two homers. Redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Taylor Brandts (King George, Va.) picked up the win for UVa-Wise in three innings of work, improving her record to 3-2 on the season, while King's Hayley Smothers (3-7) took the loss.
 
A combined 26 hits and many different scoring combinations made for an exciting game two packed with plenty of offense, however, the Cavs came out on the losing side.
 
Three scores on two home runs gave the Tornado a 3-0 lead in the first as both Kern and Hannah Smith homered over the right center field wall. King extended its lead to 8-0 in the top of the second after a throwing error by freshman catcher Lucindy Lawson (Duffield, Va.) allowed Casteel to score, in addition to a three-run homer over the right field wall by Olivia Lawson and another solo home run by Smith.
 
The Cavs got within two runs in the bottom of the third as UVa-Wise tallied six scores in the inning. With two outs already recorded but bases loaded, senior shortstop Erika McLaughlin (Haymarket, Va.) singled up the middle for two RBI, bringing home Hernandez and sophomore right fielder Zoe Millard (Glen Allen, Va.). Taylor Brandts then registered her first home run of the season with a grand slam over the right field wall to make it an 8-6 game.
 
King tacked on two more runs in the fourth as Lowe hit a RBI single to right field, bringing Olivia Lawson across home plate before Smith scored on a throwing error by McLaughlin. UVa-Wise made it a three-run game at 10-7 in the bottom of the inning when Lucindy Lawson hit a sacrifice fly to center field for Monica Brandts to score.
 
A two RBI double to right center field by Olivia Lawson gave King a 12-7 advantage in the top of the fifth with Kern and Hannah Devotie scoring for the Tornado.
 
The Cavs got one more run in the bottom of the fifth after a Bennett single up the middle allowed junior third baseman Olivia Cleary (Riner, Va.) to reach home. Despite having two runners on with one in scoring position at third and only one out recorded, UVa-Wise was unable to get anybody else across the plate. Both teams went scoreless in the final two innings to make it a 12-8 final.
 
Sophomore third baseman/shortstop Samantha Ely (Jonesville, Va.) led the Cavs with three hits in three at bats with one run scored.
 
Lauren Smith (3-3) of King got the win for the Tornado in four innings inside the circle, while junior right-handed pitcher Emily Kale (Shelby, N.C.) took the loss for UVa-Wise after one and two thirds innings pitched, dropping her record to 3-5 on the year.
 
The Cavs will now hit the road to compete in West Virginia Wesleyan's tournament this weekend in Salem, Virginia. UVa-Wise takes on Indiana University of Pennsylvania Saturday at 12 a.m. before facing Seton Hill University (Pa.) at 12 p.m.
 
Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier softball news, statistics, complete schedule and more.