AUSTIN, Texas—The Western Kentucky University softball team (20-13) posted three hits in a 3-1 loss at No. 8 Texas Longhorns (35-4) on Sunday at Red and Charline McCombs Field.
Senior Kellie Quarles went 2-for-2 at the plate for the Lady Toppers while senior Mallorie Sulaski added one hit of her own.
Sulaski (5-6) went 2.2 innings in the circle to give up three hits, two earned runs and four walks while striking out two. Junior Emily Rousseau came in with two outs in the third to go the rest of the contest, as she allowed two hits and struck out three.
Texas’ Holly Kern (7-3) threw a complete game with three hits given up and no earned runs.
WKU threatened in the top third, matching Texas’ two hits the Longhorns posted in the inning prior. Sulaski opened the frame with a chopper down the right field line that bounced over Texas first baseman Karina Scott’s head. Quarles followed with a single up the middle. Sophomore Preslie Cruce posted her 12th hit by pitch this season to load the bases with one out. However, an out at home and a groundout ended the inning.
Texas made its way to the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third inning, taking a 3-0 lead. After two bases-loaded walks brought in the game’s first two runs, a fielding error by WKU with two outs allowed the inning’s final score.
Quarles provided a spark for WKU in the top fifth with a single through the left side with one out. Sophomore Shawna Sadler then reached on an error before another error in the following at-bat allowed senior Karavin Dew to set the score at 3-1. The Lady Toppers would not be able to rally in the following innings, as eight of the last nine batters would be retired to seal the Texas victory.
WKU returns home to the WKU Softball Complex next week, as the Lady Toppers host Samford in a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 10 beginning at 4 p.m. before ULM comes to Bowling Green for a weekend Sun Belt Conference series.
