NSU Box Score
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- WKU softball split a pair of games Saturday evening on the second day of the Bulldog Slamboree at Mississippi State's Kusz Park. After dropping a tough, 8-2 contest to Northwestern State, junior Kat Downing recorded a pitching gem from the circle as the Lady Toppers shutout Central Arkansas, 2-0.
GAME 1: NORTHWESTERN STATE 8, WKU 2
Northwestern State (14-5) recorded a pair of hits in the second and third innings as WKU went into the fifth trailing the Lady Demons, 4-0.
A sacrifice fly from Carleigh Chaumont put the Lady Toppers on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning but NSU put the contest out of reach with a four-run seventh inning as the Lady Demons went on to down WKU, 8-2.
NSU outhit WKU, 12-5, and were helped by a pair of Lady Topper errors. Senior Brooke Holloway led WKU with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
Kelsey Jernigan (0-4) was credited with the loss for the Lady Toppers as the sophomore allowed two earned runs off four hits with three strikeouts in 4.1 innings in the circle.
GAME 2: WKU 2, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 0
Kathryn Downing celebrated her 21st birthday in style in the nightcap as the junior delivered a pitching gem in the circle as WKU recorded its third shutout victory of the year with a 2-0 triumph in a rematch against Central Arkansas (13-7).
Downing had a no-hitter going through five complete innings in the circle as the Lady Toppers entered the sixth with a 2-0 advantage over the Bears.
WKU's two runs came off big hits from Jordan Mauch and Carleigh Chaumont. Mauch drove in Taylor Proctor in the third inning off an RBI single to left center field. Chaumont followed in the fifth with a rare inside the park home run as the ball slipped past the UCA right fielder. The homer was the sophomore first of the season.
Downing's no-no attempt was unceremoniously broken in the sixth inning off a UCA single down the left field line but the Bowling Green but that hit proved to be the Bears last of the night as the Bowling Green native had a career-night in the circle. Downing allowed one hit, one walk and totaled three strikeouts in seven total innings.
WKU was paced offensively by the duo of Mauch (2-for-3) and Chaumont (2-for-2) as the pair totaled four of the Lady Toppers five hits.
The Lady Toppers are set to close the Bulldog Slamboree Sunday afternoon as WKU (8-9) will meet host Mississippi State at 2 p.m. CT at Nusz Park. The contest with the Bulldogs will be streamed online via the SEC Network Plus and WatchESPN.
