Garnering their third consecutive 30-win season, on offense, Taylor Davis and TJ Webster went two-for-two at the plate, while third baseman Jessica Bush drove in the eventual go-ahead run with an RBI single into left field.
WKU 2, FIU 1
A quiet start on both sides of the ball, Gardner retired three at the plate before a fourth inning to cap off the runs for WKU. Reaching on an FIU fielding error back to the circle, Brylee Hage made it to first base safely, while Taylor Davis landed home after reaching on a single up the middle.
Capping off the bottom of the fourth, Jessica Bush drove in Hage with an RBI single into left field, giving the Red and White a 2-0 lead into the back half of the ballgame.
After escaping a bases-loaded jam scoreless in the fifth, Gardner and the Hilltoppers gave up two back-to-back two-out singles than plated one for the Panthers in the sixth inning. Loading them again, FIU was unable to score after a fly-out to Davis in left field.
Finishing the game in the top of the seventh, Gardner retired her eighth batter at the plate swinging. Quick moves from catcher Randi Drinnon behind the plate, she caught FIU's Alexis Ross stealing second before Faith Hegh grabbed the game-winning putout with a shallow pop-up in center field.
Senior Katie Gardner picked up her 17th complete game of the season, with one run off of eight hits outing that she walked three and struck out eight at the plate.
With the advancement, WKU is now slated to play [4] Florida Atlantic in now double elimination. First pitch is slated for 5:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
TOP STORYLINES
- The Hilltoppers are now 39-36 all-time against FIU, meeting them for the first time in the C-USA Tournament. The Tops are 14-6 in Conference USA Tournament games.
- Head coach Amy Tudor earned her 300th win as WKU's leader in the series opening win over LA Tech. She earned career 500-win mark in the Tops 9-0 win over Evansville in March, while posting 519 all-time.
- On the stat sheet, Faith Hegh is leading the Tops with a .379 batting average, as Taylor Sanders leads with 39 RBIs and nine home runs and while Taylor Davis has 62 hits and stolen 19 bases.
- The Hilltoppers collectively hold 391 hits, 211 RBIs, a .285 batting average with 23 home runs.
- In the Conference USA Preseason Coaches Poll, the Hilltoppers were predicted to finish second in C-USA, while fifth-year outfielder Taylor Davis was named to the Preseason All-Conference team.
How to Follow Hilltopper Softball: For complete information on WKU Softball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUSoftball, Instagram @WKU_Softball, and Facebook/WKUSoftball.
