"We came out of the gate hot today to win our 12th straight," opened head coach Amy Tudor. "We played all parts of the game well with Sanders and Ridge leading the offense. Katie [Gardner] threw well and we played big behind her. In game two, Nunn threw well and our defense played well behind her. We had some quality at bats but we just weren't able to string them together. I was proud of the fight of the team today."
WKU continues to add to its best start in program history through 16 games. Additionally, 12-consecutive wins gives the 2022 Hilltopper squad solo possession of the program's longest win streak, passing the 2019 and 2013 teams for the mark.
GAME 15: WKU 4, SAMFORD 0 – 12th straight win (New school record)
WKU stayed hot to open the Ole Miss Classic with its second shutout win of the season. The Hilltoppers downed Samford in a 4-0 decision – marking the third-straight win over the Bulldogs to set a new program record of 12-consecutive wins.
Katie Gardner earned the start in the circle and worked into the seventh inning before Shelby Nunn came in for the final three outs of the win. Gardner improves to 3-0 on the season as she struck out five batters, allowed just four hits and walked two batters. Nunn allowed just one hit in her relief appearance. The fifth-year pitcher now sits at 59 career relief appearances, inching closer to the program record of 67.
The Hilltoppers struck for a solo run in each of the second, third, fifth and seventh innings.
A single down the right field line by Randi Drinnon would drive in Brylee Hage for what was ultimately the deciding run in the top of the second.
Taylor Sanders drove in a run in the top of the third with a base hit and then another in the top of the seventh with a double for her fourth hit of the game. The outing marks Sanders' first four-hit game of her career and brought her hitting streak to 13-straight games.
Jordan Ridge added a career-best effort as well, registering the first three-hit game of her career. Ridge drove in Sanders in the top of the fifth, giving WKU a 3-0 lead.
TJ Webster added a multi-hit outing as well, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate.
GAME 16: OLE MISS 2, WKU 0
Shelby Nunn picked up where she left off in the day's opener, working three scoreless innings against the Rebels allowing just two hits to that point. Ole Miss struck first in the nightcap, connecting for a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the fourth for a 1-0 lead.
The hosts doubled their lead in the next trip to the plate with another solo home run for the 2-0 margin.
After going down in order in their first trip to the plate, the Hilltoppers saw Bailey Curry connect for a base hit to the right-center gap before a double to the opposite gap by Maddie Bowlds put both WKU runners in scoring position. Both would ultimately be stranded, accounting for one of the six runners stranded by the Hilltoppers.
WKU saw another runner reach scoring position in the top of the sixth when Webster singled and moved to second when Sanders took a hit by pitch. Randi Drinnon sent a base hit through the infield in the top of the seventh but would also end up stranded.
Nunn would take the loss, moving to 7-2 on the season. She finished with a line of 6.0 innings pitched, six hits, two runs, one walk and two strikeouts. Nunn has now worked five complete games this season.
COMPLETE WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday
1 p.m. – WKU def. Samford, 4-0
6 p.m. – Ole Miss def. WKU, 2-0
Saturday
1 p.m. – WKU vs. Samford
6 p.m. – WKU at Ole Miss | SECN+
Sunday
10 a.m. – WKU vs. Saint Louis
TOP STORYLINES
- WKU has squared off with Samford 16 times in program history leading the series 11-6. The Tops are now 2-1 all-time against Ole Miss.
- The Hilltoppers will face a total of three Power 5 teams in four games this season with Ole Miss being two of those games. WKU fell to Texas A&M 2-0 in the opening weekend of the season and wouldn't drop another decision until Friday's game against Ole Miss – another 2-0 decision.
- In WKU's win over Samford, Taylor Sanders delivered her first four-hit game of her career and brought her hitting streak to 13-straight games.
- Jordan Ridge added a career-best effort against Samford as well, registering the first three-hit game of her career.
- Coach Tudor enters her 18th season as a head coach – ninth on The Hill – and owns a 465-366-2 career coaching record.
- WKU Softball is off to the best start in program history at 14-2 to start the 2022 campaign. The Hilltoppers won 12-straight games dating back to the first weekend of action, which passed the previous program record set in 2019 and 2013.
How to Follow Hilltopper Softball: For complete information on WKU Softball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUSoftball, Instagram @WKU_Softball and Facebook /WKUSoftball.
