GAME 23: WKU 3, Middle Tennessee 2
WKU Softball secured its fifth come-from-behind win of the season in Saturday's first game at Middle Tennessee. The Hilltoppers scored three unanswered runs including a seventh-inning sacrifice fly from Princess Valencia to score Taylor Sanders from third.
While the Hilltoppers registered just four hits – all singles – in the game, three of those hitters would come around to score.
After Middle Tennessee took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, WKU responded in the top of the third with two runs of its own. The Hilltoppers tallied three of their four hits in the frame, coming from Maddie Bowlds, Paige Carter and Kennedy Sullivan.
Four innings later, Taylor Sanders led off the seventh with a single before Jordan Ridge sacrificed her to into scoring position. Sanders advanced to third on a wild pitch before Smith walked to put runners on the corners. In a pinch-hit at bat, Valencia sent a fly ball to left field that allowed Sanders to score what would ultimately be the winning run.
Shelby Nunn turned in a complete-game effort in the circle to improve to 7-0 on the year. She struck out three and allowed zero walks.
GAME 24: Middle Tennessee 5, WKU 4
The day's second game needed extra innings to decide who would take a 2-1 lead in the series but Middle Tennessee would ultimately walk it off on an error by the Hilltoppers in the bottom of the ninth.
WKU struck first in the top of the second on an RBI single from TJ Webster. MTSU responded in the bottom of the third with the three-run homer before the Tops scored three runs across the next two trips to the plate to take a 4-3 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, MTSU knotted the score again. The 4-4 tie would stand until the bottom of the ninth when the Blue Raiders would connect for a single before the runner came around to score on an error two batters later.
The Hilltoppers struck for 11 hits in the game, with multi-hit outings from Taylor Davis, Brylee Hage, Maddie Bowlds and TJ Webster. Kendall Smith and Webster each tallied an RBI.
Kennedy Sullivan earned the start and worked three frames while striking out two before giving way to Kelsey Aikey for the next three innings. Aikey tallied three strikeouts to bring her to career total to 532 strikeouts, which ranks second all-time in program history. She now needs 30 to take over the all-time record.
Nunn closed the final 2.2 innings for the Tops with two more strikeouts. All three pitchers would only allow two hits.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
- Sunday, April 18 – Noon CT at Middle Tennessee | Murfreesboro, Tenn.
- Wednesday, April 21 – 6 p.m. CT at Belmont | Nashville, Tenn.
How to Follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Softball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUSoftball, Instagram @WKU_Softball and Facebook /WKUSoftball
