| WKU Softball at Louisville | |
| Date | Wednesday, April 29 |
| Location | Louisville, Ky. | Ulmer Stadium |
| Tickets | GoCards.com |
| Live Video | GoCards.com |
| LiveStats | |
| Game Notes | WKU Game Notes |
BOWLING GREEN, Ky.— After going 2-2 last week, the WKU softball team (29-10, 14-4) will look to close out the regular season strong, starting with a single game at Louisville (27-15) on Wednesday at 5 p.m. CT at Ulmer Stadium.
Fans can watch the game on GoCards.com with a paid subscription or follow with live stats on . In-game updates are available on Twitter via @WKUSoftball.
- Game Notes -
LAST TIME OUT
WKU secured its sixth Conference USA series last weekend, going 2-1 against Charlotte in the season's last home games. At the plate, seniors Larissa Franklin and Preslie Cruce hit .500 each, as Franklin tabbed six hits and Cruce five in the three games. In the circle, Miranda Kramer pitched all three games, giving up just one hit in Friday's win and threw her second no-hitter of the year in Saturday's victory. Kramer then set a league record with 18 strikeouts in a C-USA game in an 11-innings loss on Sunday.
SERIES VS. LOUISVILLE
The Cardinals lead the all-time series against WKU 14-3, including 7-1 in Louisville. WKU's last win came in 2007 in Bowling Green by a score of 4-2 while the Lady Toppers have dropped the last six. In last season's doubleheader, WKU was no-hit in game one, and despite totaling 11 hits in game two, fell 7-4 in the nightcap. Out of WKU's returners, Shawna Sadler has hit best against the Cardinals, totaling three hits and a RBI in her three games against them.
WKU AT NO. 31 IN NCAA RPI
WKU stays at No. 31 in this week's release of the NCAA RPI. The Lady Toppers are the highest ranked team in C-USA, as 10 teams from the SEC rank above WKU, including two of 2015's opponents in Tennessee (11) and Kentucky (22). Others above WKU include seven Pac-12 teams, four from the Big 12, three from the ACC and two from Big Ten, Sun Belt and Colonial. Against the field, WKU is 4-5 against the top 50, 15-9 against the top 100 and 22-10 versus the top 113. Louisville comes in at No. 49 in this week's release after defeating Kentucky and going 2-1 against Boston College.
KRAMER TIES C-USA RECORD WITH SEVENTH PITCHER OF THE WEEK AWARD
Miranda Kramer tied the Conference USA record after earning her seventh league Pitcher of the Week honor this season, as her week included four complete games, her second no-hitter of the season, two 18-strikeout performances and the new C-USA single-game strikeout record.
Pitching all four games, Kramer finished with 59 strikeouts, nine hits, one earned run and a .083 opponent batting average in 33.2 innings of work. She now sits tied with ECU's Toni Paisley (2009, 2010) and Southern Miss' Courtney Blades (2000) for the most C-USA weekly awards in a season (seven). Since the final game at FIU last weekend, Kramer threw 30.1 consecutive innings without an earned run allowed while she held Charlotte hitless through 14.2 straight innings.
KRAMER HIGHLIGHTS WEEK WITH TWO 18-STRIKEOUT OUTINGS, NO-HITTER
Miranda Kramer was spectacular in the circle last week, recording two 18-strikeout games and a no-hitter. Against No. 17 Kentucky, Kramer broke a previous record held by Courtney Blades of Southern Miss and Monica Abbott of Tennessee, as Kramer struck out 18 Wildcat batters, the most in a single game by UK. The previous two All-Americans struck out 17 against UK in 2000 and 2007, respectively.
Kramer then set a new strikeout record in league games for C-USA, striking out 18 in an 11-inning effort against Charlotte on Sunday, breaking the previous record of 17 strikeouts. It was one short of the senior's career high, as she had 19 in a no-hitter against Troy earlier this season in a seven-inning contest. With 346 strikeouts this season, Kramer is seventh in the C-USA single-season records.
Tossing her second no-hitter in 2015, Kramer's performance against the 49ers on Saturday was the ninth no-hitter in school history and fourth under second-year head coach Amy Tudor, as Kramer is the first pitcher at WKU to ever record two no-hitters in a season and career.
STILL STREAKING
Larissa Franklin continues to extend her streak, moving it to 13-straight games after hitting .500 vs. Charlotte. Over the span, Franklin is hitting .444 with 20 hits, nine runs, six walks and six stolen bases. With 18 multi-hit games this season, seven came during the current hit streak. The senior had a hit streak of 15 games earlier this season, tying the school record before going hitless in game three at North Texas.
WKU RANKED 14TH IN NATION IN FIELDING PERCENTAGE
WKU's defense is ranked 14th in the nation this week with a .975 fielding percentage, second in C-USA. Committing 26 errors over 20 games, WKU has lost seven of those contests. Last season, WKU finished 20th in the NCAA with a .972 percentage and 46 errors.
KRAMER TOP TWO IN FIVE NCAA STATS, WKU EIGHTH IN ERA
Miranda Kramer's stats compared to those of other players in the NCAA show her dominance in the circle. The Iowa native is first in the nation with 346 strikeouts, 13.2 strikeouts/seven innings and 2.98 hits allowed/seven innings. She is also second with a .80 ERA and 11 shutouts. Along with Janna Scheff, Hannah Parker and Kelsey Jernigan, WKU's pitching staff is eighth in the nation with a 1.73 ERA.
LADY TOPS ON VERGE OF OFFENSIVE BREAKTHROUGH
WKU is on the verge of an offensive breakthrough, just needing find a way to string hits together. This season, WKU has left 294 runners on base, including 14 in a 3-1, 11-inning loss to Charlotte on Sunday, one shy of tying the school record for most runners left on base. WKU has left double-digit players on in eight games, falling in two of those contests and winning three of them by two runs or less. WKU is batting .372 with bases loaded and .286 with runners in scoring position compared to opponents' .111 and .212, respectively. Opponents have left 221 runners on base.
GOING FOR PROGRAM-BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE
With 16 games cancelled on the season, setting a goal of breaking the record for most wins in a season at WKU could be tough. Though those 43 wins won't come before the regular season ends, the 2015 squad could set a program-best winning percentage. The Lady Toppers currently hold a percentage of .744 with a 29-10 record while 2013's team had a .705 percentage at 43-18.
