"I'm proud of our girls for all the time they've put in and how they executed in our games," opened head coach Amy Tudor. "I feel like we did pretty good at everything this weekend and that our pitching was probably stronger than our hitting throughout but I thought we played great defense and it adds to the good start of our pre-conference season."
WKU improved to 13-1 with its second-straight weekend sweep and continues to add to its best start in program history. Additionally, 11-consecutive wins ties the program record for longest win streak as the 2022 Tops join the 2019 and 2013 teams for the mark.
As for WKU's opponents, Illinois State is now 3-10 after a 2-2 showing in the Hilltopper Spring Fling. Ohio is 3-6 after a 2-2 weekend as well. Dayton returns home after an 0-5 weekend and is now 1-9 on the season.
GAME 13: WKU 5, OHIO 4
WKU took a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning to open up the third day of Hilltopper Spring Fling action. Taylor Davis beat out a bunt single before scoring on a two-out double from Jordan Ridge for a 1-0 lead. From there, Bailey Curry connected for a two-run home run to straight away centerfield for the 3-0 lead.
In the second inning, Randi Drinnon and Maddie Bowlds drew back-to-back one-out walks to roll the lineup over to the top of the order and TJ Webster moved them both into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. From there, Davis connected for her second hit of the game, which came in the form of an RBI base hit to push WKU's lead to a 4-0 margin.
Ohio battled back in the top of the third, sending seven batters to the plate who ultimately accounted for three runs on four hits to pull back within one at 4-3. With the tying run just 60 feet away from scoring, starting pitcher Shelby Nunn was able to induce a foul flyout to get the Hilltoppers back to the dugout with their lead still intact.
The score would hold into the bottom of the fifth when Taylor Sanders delivered a solo home run after going down 0-2 in the count. Sanders homer pushed the score to 5-3.
Kelsie Houchens would pitch innings four through six for WKU and would give up just one run and one hit to the Bobcats during her relief appearance. Ohio pulled back within one at 5-4 with an unearned run in the top of the sixth following a Hilltopper error but the redshirt-freshman responded with an out to get WKU back to the dugout.
Katie Gardner took over in the circle for the seventh inning and posted an efficient 13-pitch inning, facing just three Ohio batters. The second out came after the Bobcat runner recorded a double and overran the base to induce a six-player pickle rundown that resulted in an out.
Gardner earned the first save of the season for any Hilltopper and first of her career. Houchens earned the decision to move to 2-0 on the weekend (and season) after Nunn didn't pitch enough innings to qualify for the win decision. In four innings of relief work, Houchens and Gardner allowed just two hits and one walk.
Davis and Sanders both recorded multi-hit efforts while Curry delivered a multi-RBI showing in the win.
GAME 14: WKU 3, DAYTON 2
After closing the day's first game, Gardner earned the start for the Hilltoppers against Dayton and worked 4.0 innings of one-run ball before handing the ball over to Nunn.
WKU struck in the bottom of the first for the second time of the day and third time of the weekend. With two away, Sanders sent a 2-1 pitch into the second level of the parking structure for a 1-0 WKU lead.
Dayton knotted the score at 1-1 with a solo homer of its own in the top of the fourth, coming off Gardner.
Nunn would take over prior to the top of the fifth for Gardner in the circle. The Hilltopper starter finished with four hits allowed, one run allowed and four strikeouts.
After the first batter Nunn faced connected for a solo home run, Dayton owned a 2-1 lead, but Nunn settled in with strikeouts for the next three outs to get WKU back to the dugout.
Following a two-out walk from Ridge in the bottom of the fifth, Curry connected for her second home run of the day that just cleared the glove of Dayton's leftfielder, giving the Hilltoppers a 3-2 lead on another homer.
Despite a couple Dayton runners, Nunn took care of the next three outs herself as well, bringing her count to a season-best six strikeouts through just two innings of work.
The Hilltoppers were retired in order in the bottom of the sixth but would return the favor in the next half inning to the Flyers with the WKU infield handling three grounders to secure the 3-2 win.
Nunn earned the win and moved to 7-1 on the season with her second relief appearance of the season. She continues to inch closer to Kelsey Aikey's program record of 67 career relief appearances, now sitting at 58.
Curry finished with her second multi-RBI game of the day and now owns 21 on the season through 14 games.
COMPLETE WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday
Noon – Ohio def. Illinois State, 16-4 [5]
2:30 p.m. – WKU def. Dayton, 5-0
Saturday
10 a.m. – Illinois State def. Dayton, 1-0
12:30 p.m. – WKU def. Ohio, 7-1
3 p.m. – WKU def. Illinois State, 4-3
5:30 p.m. – Ohio def. Dayton, 4-3
Sunday
10 a.m. – Illinois State def. Dayton, 3-2
12:30 p.m. – WKU def. Ohio, 5-4
3 p.m. – WKU def. Dayton, 3-2
TOP STORYLINES
- WKU is now 6-0 all-time against Ohio and 7-0 in the program's history against Dayton.
- Coach Tudor enters her 18th season as a head coach – ninth on The Hill – and owns a 464-365-2 career coaching record.
- WKU Softball is off to the best start in program history at 13-1 to start the 2022 campaign. The Hilltoppers have won 11-straight games dating back to the first weekend of action, which ties the program record set in 2019 and 2013.
- Through 14 games, the Hilltoppers have hit 12 home runs with five different players owning one. Bailey Curry leads the team with four.
- WKU Softball won three-straight one-run games to close Hilltopper Spring Fling action and are now 6-0 in one-run decisions this season.
- With its first homestand in the books, the Hilltoppers own a perfect 10-0 record and home and have won 13-straight inside the WKU Softball Complex dating back to the 2021 Conference USA Softball Tournament. WKU is now 309-184-1 (.627) through 494 all-time home games.
