WKU climbed to 17-6 with the sweep and is now 2-0 in C-USA play. Southern Miss dropped to 9-14 overall and 0-2 in league play.
"We did a great job in all aspects of the game today," Coach Tudor shared. "Aikey and Nunn both held it down in the circle, we played good defense behind them and showed up offensively throughout the lineup. Jordan Vorbrink stepped up huge for us today. She was focused and came through with hit and hit."
Jordan Vorbrink reached base during all seven of her plate appearances, combining for a 5-for-5 day at the dish while added a pair of walks. The junior racked up three RBI and two runs scored across the day.
WKU combined for a .404 batting average on the day while collecting 21 hits – six for extra bases – and 15 runs. The Hilltopper pitching staff posted a 2.33 ERA while Southern Miss posted an 8.17 mark. Shelby Nunn (11-4) and Kelsey Aikey (5-1) picked up wins in the circle for the Red and White.
WEEKEND INFORMATION
Saturday, March 10 – 1 p.m. CT at Southern Miss | W, 11-3 (5)
Saturday, March 10 – 3 p.m. CT at Southern Miss | W, 4-1
Sunday, March 11 – Noon CT at Southern Miss | Stats | Watch
GAME 22: WKU 11, SOUTHERN MISS 3 (5)
Southern Miss struck first in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly and held the lead until WKU knotted things up in the top of the third. Rebekah Engelhardt sent a leadoff triple down the right line and scored during the following at bat as Jordan Thomas registered a sac fly to get the Hilltoppers on the board.
Back at the plate for the top of the fourth, Vorbrink led things off with a walk before Paige Carter moved her into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Next up, Kendall Smith connected for her third home run of the season for the 3-1 WKU advantage.
The flood gates opened in the top of the fifth for the Hilltoppers as eight runners crossed the plate. Engelhardt and Thomas each saw two plate appearances in the frame as the Red and White sent 11 batters to the dish. WKU finished with seven hits – three for extra bases – in the frame including a double by Thomas, a triple by Kelsey McGuffin and a two-run home run by Engelhardt. WKU pushed its lead to a 10-run margin with an 11-1 reading with the big fifth frame.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Golden Eagles responded with three singles and scored a pair of runners on a sacrifice fly to the right field fence. With two away Aikey relieved Nunn in the circle with a Southern Miss runner in scoring position looking to extend the game out of run-rule territory. The sophomore hurler need just four pitches to induce a fly out to centerfield and secure the five-inning run-rule victory for the Red and White.
Nunn took the decision and climbed to 11-4 on her debut campaign. In 4.2 innings of work, Nunn struck out three against two walks while allowing five hits.
GAME 23: WKU 4, SOUTHERN MISS 1
After a quick first inning of game two, WKU got on the board in the second inning after capitalizing on two hits and an error in the frame. Maddie Bowlds grounded out unassisted allowing McGuffin to score the contest's first run.
WKU plated two more runs in the top of the fourth inning after McGuffin and Engelhardt got the frame going with back-to-back singles. After a ground out and a fielder's choice, Vorbrink sent a single through the right side to score two for a 3-0 WKU advantage.
The Hilltoppers added one more tally to the scoring column in the top of the sixth inning after Vorbrink singled and induced a rundown between first and second that allowed Thomas to score from third.
Down to their final out, the Golden Eagles refused to be shut out as USM's catcher sent the first pitch she saw over the left field fence for a solo home run to make the score the final 4-1 margin.
Aikey matched her career high with seven strike outs en route to her fifth win of the season. The sophomore tossed her third complete game of the year while moving to 5-1 on the season. Aikey allowed just three hits and no walks on 97 pitches, 67 strikes.
TOPPER NOTES
- WKU Softball registered two triples in the day's opening contest bring the team's season total to 10. Rebekah Engelhardt notched her second three-baser of the year while Kelsey McGuffin recorded the first of her career. The Hilltoppers have knocked multiple triples in three games now this season.
- Taking both sides of the Saturday doubleheader at Southern Miss, WKU improves to 8-2 all-time against the Golden Eagles, winning the last four matchups. The Hilltoppers are now 3-2 against USM playing in Hattiesburg.
- Saturday's sweep also locked up the conference-opening series win for the Hilltoppers. WKU will go for back-to-back league-opening sweeps in Sunday's tilt. The Red and White have won their conference-opening series each of the last seven seasons and have won 11-of-18 in program history.
- Kendall Smith and Rebekah Engelhardt each registered their third home run of the season on Saturday. Engelhardt now owns eight homers during her career on The Hill.
- The Hilltoppers' first win of the day was in come-from-behind fashion after trailing 1-0 through two innings. WKU knotted the contest at 1-1 on a sacrifice fly in the top of the third before adding two runs in the fourth and eight runs in the fifth.
- Jordan Vorbrink put up a multi-hit game in both contests going a combined 5-for-5 at the plate. She now owns three multi-hit efforts on the year and five on her career.
- Rebekah Engelhardt, Paige Carter and Kelsey McGuffin each added two-hit games on the day as well. Engelhardt owns six multi-hit showings on the year and 10 in her career while Carter has eight performances of such on the year and 12 in her career and McGuffin now sits at five on the season and 17 during her career.
- WKU also saw four multi-RBI performances recorded across the doubleheader. Kendall Smith, Kelsey McGuffin and Rebekah Engelhardt all recorded multiple RBI in the run-rule victory while Jordan Vorbrink did so in game two.
- WKU Softball has now claimed six run-rule victories on the 2018 campaign.
- Head coach Amy Tudor won her 350th and 351st games with the doubleheader sweep. She now owns 134 wins at WKU. Her career coaching record is 351-311-2 in her 14th season.
