April 18, 2003
Bowling Green, Ky. - The Hilltopper softball team (22-24, 2-4 in Sun Belt play) rolled to an 8-0 win in game one over New Mexico State (8-45, 1-9), but the SBC's last place team rebounded with a 6-2 victory in the second game as Amanda Carver blasted a third-inning grand slam. Sophomore Shelly Floyd picked up three hits and two RBI in the win, upping her school-record total to 41, and becoming the first WKU player to top the 40 RBI mark.
The two teams close out their four-game series with a doubleheader tomorrow , beginning at 2 p.m. (CST).
Western Kentucky 8, New Mexico State 0 (Game 1, 5 innings)
The Hilltoppers used a five-run third inning to take control early on and put the Aggies away in the fifth with a two-run single from sophomore Shelly Floyd. WKU's second baseman drove in the final two runs of the game to make it 8-0 and end the gave in five innings. The two RBI upped Floyd's total to 41 on the season, making her the first Hilltopper in school history to top 40 RBI.
Western jumped all over the Aggies in the bottom of the third, plating five runs on three hits and two NMSU errors. Sophomore Riley Garcia opened the inning with her first triple of the season and scored on the next play off a throwing error by Amanda Carver. The Toppers tacked on a second run compliments of an RBI single from sophomore Dana Rey, which scored sophomore Renita Pennington. Senior Kristalyn Smith followed with an RBI sacrifice bunt to drive in sophomore Shelly Floyd, who reached on a walk.
WKU took a commanding 5-0 lead two batters later thanks to a two-run double from freshman Natasha Sevco to the gap in right center, allowing Rey and pinch runner Rebecca Minnis to cross the plate.
Junior Samantha Hansen got things going in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out single. Western quickly loaded the bases as freshman Adrienne Lathrop picked up a base hit and Garcia reached on an error. Pennington picked up her career-high second RBI of the game with a slap single, scoring Hansen. Floyd, who went three-for-three to raise her average back over .400 (.414), followed with her two-run double to end the game.
Junior Allison Silver improved to 12-11 on the season with her second shutout of the year after scattering five hits, striking out four and walking none. The Aggies committed five errors en route to their 45th loss of the year.
New Mexico State 6, Western Kentucky 2 (Game 2)
NMSU's Carver belted a grand slam in the top of the third off Lathrop to put NMSU ahead 4-0 early on. Carver, who entered the second game with just five RBI on the season, nearly doubled her run production in one swing. Lathrop eventually worked her way out of the third after surrendering a fifth run to the Aggies, but could not make it out of the fourth as NMSU used back-to-back doubles to push their lead to 6-0 and Lathrop was pulled in favor of Sevco.
The Hilltoppers cut into the Aggies' lead in the bottom of the fourth, as Sevco ripped her second two-run double of the day to score Pennington and Floyd and make it 6-2. NMSU's Jennifer Bride loaded the bases with no outs, off two singles and a walk, but nearly escaped the jam by striking out the next two batters before surrendering the double to Sevco. WKU was unable to draw any closer as Bride struck out her third batter of the inning following the double.
Sevco pitched a career high four innings, allowing no runs and just two hits in relief of Lathrop, who fell to 10-8 on the season after dropping her fourth straight decision.
- WKU -
