Tops Sweep Middle Tennessee Behind Late Defensive Efforts

Sunday, March 8

Bowling Green, Ky.

1 p.m. CT

Western Kentucky University

20-4, 3-0

Middle Tennessee

13-13, 0-3

Middle Tennessee

WKU

3/8/2020 4:04:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Game 24 MTSU Series Stats

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Behind its sixth come-from-behind victory of the year, WKU Softball secured a Conference USA-opening series sweep of Middle Tennessee on Sunday. The Hilltoppers claimed the weekend finale 2-1 over the Blue Raiders to sweep MTSU for the second-straight series.

With their fourth victory this week, WKU Softball is now 20-4 overall on the season. Needing just 24 games to reach the 20-win mark is a new program record, surpassing last season's record of 25 games. The Hilltoppers are 3-0 in C-USA play while Middle Tennessee dropped to 13-13 and 0-3 in league play.

"This was a big weekend for our pitching staff," head coach Amy Tudor shared. "I felt we made adjustments and looked composed in the circle. Our hitters did enough for us to win all three games. I am proud of our fight and focus the entire weekend."

Shelby Nunn earned the win in the circle to improve to 6-1 on the season after working 5.2 innings against the Blue Raiders. Nunn allowed five hits and one walk while striking out two and giving up zero earned runs.

Kelsey Aikey made her third appearance in as many days against Middle Tennessee, entering the game in the bottom of the sixth. She inherited a two-on, two-out situation and induced a fly ball on her fourth pitch to get the Hilltoppers back to the dugout.

After WKU was held scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, MTSU led off the seventh with a single to left field. The next Blue Raider batter would pop up a bunt before Aikey sat the next hitter down with a swinging strikeout. At the top of Middle Tennessee's order, the next batter worked a full count before sending a double to the left center gap. On the play, Jordan Thomas would fire the ball to TJ Webster for the cut before the runner on first was thrown out at home with Kendall Smith making the tag at the plate of what would have been the tying run.

With 1.1 innings of shutdown work, Aikey collected her third save of the season and the 15^th of her career.

Middle Tennessee opened the scoring for the first time in the series with an unearned run in the top of the second. The Blue Raider lead would hold until WKU struck for both of its runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Kennedy Sullivan opened the frame with her second of three singles on the game. Paige Carter followed with her second knock of the day for two on with no outs. Due to a fielding error from MTSU on Carter's hit to centerfield, pinch runner Jordan Ridge would score from first to tie the game at 1-1. Two batters later, Taylor Sanders reached on an error that allowed Carter to touch the plate for the 2-1 Hilltopper advantage.

Sullivan's three-hit game was her third of the sort this season and 11^th multi-hit game overall. Carter's two-knock showing was her sixth of the year and seventh multi-hit performance of the 2020 campaign.

Thomas added WKU's sixth hit – a one-out single in the fifth – extending her reached base streak to 20-consecutive games.

NEXT GAME:
With its 14-game homestand in the books, WKU Softball will hit the road for its next four games. The Tops will open their spring break trip with a midweek game at UT Arlington on Tuesday. Friday-Sunday, WKU will visit preseason favorite North Texas for a three-game series.

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