Louisville-WKU Box Score
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The WKU softball team fell behind 4-0 to #14/15 Louisville before even getting a chance at bat Wednesday, eventually falling 6-0 to the Cardinals at the WKU Softball Field. Junior outfielder Katrina Metoyer had two of the Lady Toppers' three hits on the day.
Louisville (21-0) got back-to-back singles from Jennifer Esteban and Kristin Austin to lead-off the game. After WKU's (18-8) Emily Rousseau struck out Katie Keller, Taner Fowler walked to load the bases with one out. Alicja Wolny then singled up the middle, bringing in two runs to put the Cardinals ahead 2-0. Rousseau got Jordan Trimble to groundout, but that out advanced Wolny and Fowler one base. With two outs, Hannah Kiyohara hit a two-RBI single to put Louisville up 4-0.
Metoyer recorded WKU's first hit in the bottom of the first, then stole second base with one out. She was eventually left stranded at third as Louisville starting pitcher Tori Collins got Amanda Thomas to flyout to end the inning. The Cardinals added two more runs in the top of the third inning. With runners at second and third with two out, Katelyn Mann hit a double to clear the bases and put Louisville up 6-0. Mann, however, was thrown out by Laura Smith in right field trying to stretch her hit into a triple.
The pitching duo of Collins and Chelsea Leonard shut down the Lady Toppers over the next four innings. WKU had a batter reach base twice over that stretch. Smith drew a walk in the fourth and was hit by a pitch in the seventh, but no WKU batter got a hit in the last four innings.
Rousseau went six innings in the circle for WKU, allowing eight hits while striking out four batters. Collins earned her 10th win of the season for Louisville, allowing all three of the Lady Toppers' hits in four innings. Esteban, Wolny, and Kiyohara each had two hits and a run scored for the Cardinals.
WKU hosts South Alabama for a Sun Belt Conference series this weekend, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 17 at the WKU Softball Field. Game one is set to start at 1 p.m., with the nightcap scheduled for 3 p.m.
