TUSCALOOSA, Ala.—The Western Kentucky University softball team (43-17) earned its way to the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional championship game after defeating USC Upstate (42-11) 3-0 in the team’s second game on Saturday.
With the win, WKU goes on to face Alabama at 1 p.m. in the championship game with the “if necessary” game to follow at 3:30 p.m. The winner advances in the NCAA Softball Championship to face the winner of the Knoxville Regional in the Super Regional round.
Senior Mallorie Sulaski (13-8) earned the win after allowing just two hits and three walks while striking out two. Spartans’ pitcher Anna Miller (6-2) pitched 4.2 innings with three hits given up while all three runs against her were unearned. Hannah Alexander closed the game with three hits allowed.
Sophomore Shawna Sadler went 2-for-3 at the plate against the Spartans while adding a run. The top four of the WKU lineup—junior Preslie Cruce, junior Olivia Watkins, senior Ciara Garcia and junior Amanda Thomas—each had a hit each with Cruce and Watkins posting a run.
After three scoreless innings in the contest, Watkins opened the fourth with a single to center before recording her 38th stolen base of the season. Moving to third on a groundout, Watkins added the first run of the game after Miller committed a throwing error trying to get Watkins at the plate.
The lead increased in the fifth frame to 3-0, as Sadler hit a single through the left side with one out on the board. Cruce moved Sadler to third after a single to right and going to second on the throw. The pair then added the runs after two Upstate miscues in the same play.
