BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - After falling in three games to Florida Atlantic, the Lady Toppers took on South Alabama in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. In the first game, WKU fell to 26-17 overall and 10-9 in the Sun Belt Conference after falling to South Alabama 8-0 in six innings. But, the Lady Toppers fought back in game two and took down the Jaguars 5-4.
In the second inning, the Jaguars struck first scoring two runs to take an early lead in the game. South Alabama's Carolina Mendoza got things started for the Jaguars reaching first after hitting a single to left center field. After WKU was able to record two outs, the Jaguar's scored their first run of the game off a double to left field by Kait Chernomaz. Then, Chernomaz made it 2-0 after reaching home following a single by Marissa Boyd.
South Alabama added to their lead in the bottom of the third inning adding another run off a single to short. After pitcher Ryan Rogge walked two batters in a row and hit one batter by a pitch to load the bases, Corey Race drove in her first run of the day after Kelsey Volz reached home from third.
South Alabama continued their scoring run in the fourth inning after Christen Crocker slammed a two run homer over the left field fence to extend the Jaguar's lead to five.
The Jaguars put the game away in the sixth inning after Danielle Honore hit her first home run of the season, a three run homer, to left center field to give South Alabama an 8-0 win.
Rogge took the loss for the Lady Toppers falling to 20-8 overall this season. In seven innings of work, she gave up 11 hits while the Lady Toppers posted one error. WKU only recorded one hit in the game, a Brooke Reed single in the fourth inning.
In game two, it was the Lady Toppers who scored first taking a 3-0 lead in the first inning. After Reed started off the game with a single to first base, she advanced to second following a sacrifice bunt by Shannon Smith and third after a single to third base by junior Kelsey McCauley. After McCauley stole second base, senior Rebecca Horesky gave WKU the lead after blasting a three-run homerun to center field.
South Alabama cut WKU's lead to one following a single by Honore, a double by Race and another single by Chernomaz that gave the Jaguar's two runs. The Jaguars added two more runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-3 lead off another hit by Chernomaz and a double by Kelsy Donaldson.
WKU tied the game up in the fifth inning off two South Alabama errors. Reed was the first Lady Topper to reach base on an error by South Alabama's first baseman. After advancing to second following a Smith sacrifice bunt, Reed scored after Terri Ellingsworth was able to advance to second after another Jaguar error, this time by the shortstop.
In the seventh inning, WKU took a 5-4 lead after Reed scored to give WKU the go ahead run. After reaching on a fielder's choice, Reed advanced to second and scored after Ellingsworth recorded her first RBI of the day after a single to short. WKU was able to hold off South Alabama in the bottom of the inning as Rogge recorded a strikeout and McCauley made two outstanding catches in right field.
Rogge after giving up five hits and two runs. Jennifer Kempf, who started the game, went one inning giving up two runs off three hits.
WKU and South Alabama will conclude the series tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT. Live stats will be available at www.wkusports.com.
