Big Day From Thomas Leads Hilltoppers to Saturday Split with North Texas

Saturday, April 13

Bowling Green, Ky.

1 p.m. CT

Western Kentucky University

27-9, 10-3

North Texas

26-13, 11-2

North Texas

WKU

Big Day From Thomas Leads Hilltoppers to Saturday Split with North Texas

4/13/2019 8:18:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1 Game 2

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A three-homerun day by WKU Softball helped the squad to a Saturday doubleheader split against North Texas on The Hill. Jordan Thomas got the Hilltopper offense started in both games with a leadoff home run while scoring four of the team's five runs on the day. After suffering an 8-2 loss in the opening tilt, WKU responded and led the whole way in game two en route to a 3-1 win behind a complete-game two hitter from Shelby Nunn.

"Jordan Thomas set the tone in a big way today – what a way to show up," head coach Amy Tudor opened. "I thought our response from game one to game two was impressive on all levels. We had focus, productivity on both offense and defense, not to mention lots of hustle. Shelby Nunn held down the circle and had a wonderful performance today."

With the win in the day's second game, WKU has matched its win total from the 2018 campaign with a 28-9 overall record. The squad improved to 11-3 in Conference USA action with the split – marking the team's most wins in league play since the program put together a 16-4 reading in 2015. North Texas moved to 26-13 and 11-3 with the loss.

WKU limited the high-powered North Texas offense to a .167 batting average on the day while working at a .286 clip itself. The Hilltoppers collected 14 hits across the day while limiting the Mean Green to eight.

GAME 1: NORTH TEXAS 8, WKU 2

North Texas took advantage of a pair of first-inning walks and a double to take a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the frame, Jordan Thomas worked a full count before connecting for a leadoff home run to cut the Hilltoppers' deficit to 2-1. The longball marked the fifth of the season for the sophomore.

After North Texas added two more runs in the top of the second the sides would go on to hold each other scoreless for the next eight half innings. In the bottom of the sixth, WKU saw Paige Carter connect for a solo home run to pull the Red and White within 4-2. Carter's shot was her second of the season.

In the top of the seventh, North Texas responded with four more runs before Kelsey Aikey got the Hilltoppers back to the dugout with a strikeout. Rebekah Engelhardt looked to spark the WKU offense for a late rally with a one-out single back up the middle but would be erased on a double play two pitches later to close the game.

Kennedy Sullivan took the loss in the circle – her first in league play – and moved to 15-3 on the season and 5-1 in C-USA action. She finished with a line of 6.1 innings pitched, six hits, eight runs, six walks and four strikeouts before giving way to Aikey for the last two outs.

Kendall Smith recorded a single and double in the outing for her eighth multi-hit game of the season. Sullivan added to her cause at the plate with a double as well.

WKU and North Texas each finished with six hits in the 8-2 decision that favored the Mean Green.

GAME 2: WKU 3, NORTH TEXAS 1

Sophomore pitcher Shelby Nunn tossed a complete-game two-hitter in game two as the Hilltoppers got another leadoff homerun from Jordan Thomas for an early lead and never looked back.

For Nunn, after a leadoff walk and a strikeout looking, the Hilltopper infield went on lockdown with groundouts for the next nine outs spanning into the fourth inning. The righty went on to sit down the 12^th-straight Mean Green batter with her second of four punchouts on the day before North Texas finally broke into the hit column. From there, Nunn and the defense began a new streak and sat down seven more UNT batters in a row.

In the bottom of the third, Thomas added a double to her day's work before a Paige Carter single scored Thomas for the Hilltoppers' first run on a ball that stayed inside the park. Thomas went on to draw a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth before moving into scoring position on a bunt single from Carter. Both runners would swipe their way into scoring position before Sullivan delivered an RBI sac bunt to score Thomas for the Hilltoppers' third run. Shannon Plese would go on to reach base for the second time of the game with a walk before stealing her team-best 14^th base of the season and ending up stranded.

North Texas finally found its way into the scoring column in the top of the seventh. The Mean Green's three-hole hitter sent a double to the gap before moving to third on a wild pitch and scoring on a groundout for the final 3-1 tally.

Thomas and Carter each tallied 2-for-3 performances with an RBI and stolen base. Thomas would end up scoring all three of the Hilltoppers runs in the win. Plese, Engelhardt, Maddie Bowlds and Jordan Vorbrink each tallied a hit for the Red and White while Morgan McElroy added a sac bunt of her own.

Nunn finished with a line of 7.0 innings pitched, two hits, one run, one walk and four strikeouts, needing just 81 pitches to do so. She now owns two complete games on the season in her seven starts.

WKU outhit the Mean Green 8-2 in the errorless affair as the Hilltoppers stranded seven runners on base against just two by North Texas.

Next game: WKU will look to claim its fourth series of the season on Sunday in its rubber match against North Texas. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. CT and the game will be streamed live on CUSA.tv.

How to Follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Softball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUSoftball, Instagram @WKU_Softball and Facebook /WKUSoftball.