WKU is now 32-11 on the season and 14-7 in Conference USA play. Southern Miss moved to 29-20 with the loss and is now 9-12 in league action.
After a 1-2-3 inning at the plate to open the game, the Hilltoppers took the field and it wouldn't take long for the defense to shine. Two pitches into the game, Brylee Hage robbed a Southern Miss home run, getting her glove well over the wall to come down with the ball.
The Golden Eagles' best shot of breaking through came in the bottom of the second when Southern Miss drew a one-out walk, followed by a base hit to move a runner into scoring position. However, Nunn responded with back-to-back strikeouts to take care of all three outs in the frame.
Southern Miss also had two hits in the third, but the threat was extinguished thanks to a rundown out after the Golden Eagle runner overran the bag. Nunn and the Hilltopper defense would only allow two Southern Miss base runners aboard the remainder of the game from there.
With the top of the order due up to begin the fourth, Brylee Hage got on board with a base hit before Taylor Davis sacrificed her to second. Taylor Sanders would reach on an error by USM before Bowlds singled up the middle for a 1-0 Hilltopper lead. Randi Drinnon followed with her first of two hits on the day to load the bases. From there, Bailey Curry connected for a sac fly that scored Sanders for a 2-0 lead.
USM struck for its final hit of the game – the Eagles' fourth single – in the bottom of the fourth but Nunn used two more strikeouts and the help of her infield to get back to the dugout.
After sending seven batters to the box in the fourth, WKU would send eight in the fifth frame. Kennedy Foote got things going by reaching on a fielding error before TJ Webster beat out a bunt single to roll the lineup over. Davis drew a walk to load the bases before Bowlds drew an RBI bases-loaded walk. Drinnon followed with an RBI single to push the score to 4-0.
Southern Miss drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the fifth for its final base runner of the game. From there, Nunn and the Hilltopper defense retired the final seven Golden Eagle batters as the ball never left the infield.
Nunn earned the complete-game shutout win to climb to 19-6 in the circle on the year. The outing marked Nunn's 14th complete-game effort of the season and her sixth complete-game solo shutout of the season – her 10th total.
WKU Softball will conclude the regular season by hosting Middle Tennessee from May 6-8 on The Hill.
TOP STORYLINES
- WKU leads the all-time series with Southern Miss 9-5 following Sunday's win. USM leads 5-4 in games played in Hattiesburg.
- Coach Tudor is in her 18th season as a head coach – ninth on The Hill – and owns a 484-373-2 career coaching record.
- Nunn earned the complete-game shutout win to climb to 19-6 in the circle on the year. The outing marked Nunn's 14th complete-game effort of the season and her sixth complete-game solo shutout of the season – her 10th shutout total.
- Maddie Bowlds connected for a 2-for-2 day at the plate – her second multi-hit game in as many days – and drew walks in her other two plate appearances. Bowlds drove in a pair of runs to mark her fifth multi-RBI game of the season.
- Randi Drinnon added a multi-hit game of her own, marking her fifth of the season.
- Brylee Hage owns a 5-game hitting streak and career-best 16-game reached base streak following the weekend.
How to Follow Hilltopper Softball: For complete information on WKU Softball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUSoftball, Instagram @WKU_Softball and Facebook /WKUSoftball.
