"We were able to compete in both games today with solid pitching and hitting," stated head coach Amy Tudor. "We hit when we needed to and all three pitchers threw well."
WKU's 2-0 day improved the Tops to 8-1 overall while Alcorn moved to 2-5 and Ball State dropped to 2-3 after their losses. The Hilltoppers have now won five-straight games.
Kennedy Sullivan turned in a 3-for-4 day at the plate to go along with three walks and four runs scored. The redshirt-sophomore tallied two of the Tops' five doubles on the day. Kendall Smith and TJ Webster also contributed three hits apiece while Paige Carter racked up four knocks.
WKU's pitchers combined for a 1.00 ERA, 19 strikeouts and a .106 opposing batting average while allowing just five hits.
WKU (7-1) vs. ALCORN STATE (2-5)
WKU 7, ALCN 0
WKU Softball opened the Bulldog Invitational by batting through the order in the top of the first in its outing against Alcorn State. The Hilltoppers would plate four runs on five hits and one Braves error to take a 4-0 lead.
The Lady Braves' best chance to cut into that deficit came in their opening trip to the plate as they loaded the bases but WKU starter Katie Gardner ended the threat with her first of 11 strikeouts in the game.
Brylee Hage sent a one-out double to left center in the top of the third before moving to third on a sac bunt from Taylor Davis. At that point, TJ Webster singled back to the pitcher, allowing Hage to score to push the Hilltopper lead to 5-0.
Hage would go on to finish with two doubles in the game.
Jordan Thomas got the fifth inning going with WKU's first triple of the season. The redshirt-junior sent the ball down the rightfield line for the seventh triple of her career and would score four batters later on a double steal with Taylor Sanders to push the Tops' lead to 6-0.
WKU's final tally came in the top of the sixth when Kennedy Sullivan led off the frame with a walk before moving to third on a hit and error from Kendall Smith. Sanders would plate Sullivan on a sacrifice fly, extending the WKU advantage to its final 7-0 margin.
Earning the first start of her career, Katie Gardner carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the sixth inning and only allowed one hit to Alcorn State in the game. The redshirt-freshman tallied 11 strikeouts, the most by a Hilltopper pitcher this season.
WKU stole a season-high five bases in the day's opening game led by a pair from Webster.
WKU (8-1) vs. BALL STATE (2-3)
WKU 4, BALL 3
For the first time this season, an opponent scored first in a game against the Hilltoppers as Ball State plated runs in the second and third innings to take a 2-0 lead in the contest. WKU would go on to respond with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third and would never trail again.
The Tops used hits by Paige Carter, Sullivan and Sanders combined with a pair of Cardinal errors to even the game at 2-2. Sullivan's double to right center allowed Carter to score from second before Sullivan would score on an error by the Ball State third baseman.
In the bottom of the fifth, Sullivan led off the frame with a walk before Kendall Smith connected with a 3-1 pitch for a two-run homerun to put the Red and White in the lead.
A leadoff walk in the top of the seventh by Ball State forced a call to the bullpen for the Hilltoppers as Kelsey Aikey came in for her first relief appearance of the season. The Cardinals loaded the bases and would come within one after drawing a bases-loaded walk but Aikey handled a grounder and tossed to Maddie Bowlds at first to secure her first save of the season.
In Sullivan's 6+ innings of work she allowed three hits, two earned runs and two walks while striking out six. She would earn the win for her first decision of the season in the circle. Sullivan helped her own cause at the plate, turning in a 2-for-2 game along with an RBI and a walk.
Aikey struck out two, walked two and allowed one hit while holding off the Ball State comeback in her first save of the season.
COMING UP
Bulldog Invitational | Nusz Park | Starkville, Miss.
- Saturday, March 6 – at [RV] Mississippi State (12:30 p.m.) and either 1 vs. 4 or 2 vs. 3 (3 or 5:30 p.m.)
- Sunday, March 7 – Consolation or Championship (11 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.)
NOTES & RECORDS
- Head Coach Amy Tudor is in her 17th season as a head coach – eighth on The Hill – this season with a career record of 427-350-2.
- WKU is now 1-0 all-time against Alcorn State as Friday's meeting was the first between the programs.
- Friday's victory over Ball State moves the Hilltoppers ahead in the all-time series 5-3. This marked the first neutral site game between the sides.
- Katie Gardner had several career firsts/bests in WKU's 7-0 win over Alcorn State. Gardner drew her first start and turned in her first complete-game shutout to move to 2-0 on the season in the circle. She struck out a career-best 11 batters.
- Jordan Thomas hit WKU's first triple of the season – the seventh of her career – in the Tops' morning win over Alcorn State. Seven triples put her in sixth on WKU's all-time program list.
- Paige Carter went 3-for-5 at the plate against Alcorn State, marking the fourth 3-hit game of the season for the redshirt-senior and 10th of her career.
- Kendall Smith, Brylee Hage and TJ Webster each tallied two hits against Alcorn State, marking the third multi-hit game of the season for Smith and Webster and first for Hage.
- In the day's second game, Kendall Smith knocked her second homerun of the season, what would end up being the game-winning hit for the Hilltoppers. She now owns 24 career homers.
- Kennedy Sullivan finished with her third multi-hit game of the season in the win over Ball State.
- Kelsey Aikey earned her first save of the season – the 16th of her career. Already the school-record holder for relief appearances (55) and saves, Aikey continues to add to her numbers. Today's save moves her into a tie for second among all active NCAA Division I pitchers for career saves.
- In the most recent RPI rankings (March 2020), WKU came in at No. 31 while Alcorn State is 274, Ball State comes in at 92 and Mississippi State owns the No. 20 spot.
How to Follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Softball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUSoftball, Instagram @WKU_Softball and Facebook /WKUSoftball.
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