The Hilltoppers move to 17-8-1 on the season as Rylan Smith pitched her second career complete game in the circle. She only gave up one run off of seven hits and retired seven in the batter's box, tying her career single-game high.
WKU 9, FIU 1 [6inn.]
The Tops got going in the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back RBI doubles from Taylor Sanders and Cheyanne Sales that plated three runs for an early lead.
In the following inning, Brylee Hage shot a ball into right-center field for a single, scoring Annie White and Sophie Weber. Weber made her way on base after a leadoff single through the right side, while White reached first base from a Panther throwing error.
FIU beat the shutout, they scored a run off of an RBI single up the middle in the fourth inning and brought about a 5-1 ballgame.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Kelsey Schmidt drove in the first pitch thrown to her over the left field wall that was good for a solo home run and her fifth homer of the season.
After being recognized as the program's all-time home runs leader before first pitch, Taylor Sanders hit her 41st home run in the bottom of the sixth frame. The opposite field shot was off the 1-1 pitch and scored pinch runner Becca Campbell to draw a seven-run deficit on the scoreboard.
After the bases cleared, Morgan Sharpe hit a blooper into left field, good for a double, before Sales earned her second walk-off hit of the season. The RBI single went up the middle, sending Sharpe across the plate, and the Tops hit the run-rule at 9-1 to end the game.
Right-hander Rylan Smith pitched her way through all six innings of the ballgame, only giving up a run off of seven hits and two walks from the circle. Smith tied her career single-game mark with seven strikeouts at the plate during the afternoon.
TOP STORYLINES
- WKU now takes the all-time series, 41-36, to FIU.
- Kelsey Schmidt hit her fifth home run of the season, totaling 10 throughout her career and her third in the last five games.
- Taylor Sanders had a three-RBI day at the plate, picking up a double in her first at-bat followed up by a two-run home run in the sixth inning.
- Brylee Hage, TJ Webster, Cheyanne Sales, and Sanders all had multi-hit days at the plate.
- Sales earned her second walk-off hit of the season, as the last one was a fifth inning walk-off double on March 3rd, run-ruling NIU.
- As a whole, WKU is leading Conference USA with a .325 batting average.
- Morgan Sharpe continues to lead the Tops with a .464 batting average and 39 hits. Taylor Sanders owns 10 home runs and 29 RBIs this season.
- Katie Gardner is operating with a 1.38 ERA to lead the WKU pitching staff, producing 56 strikeouts at the plate. Rylan Smith is next in line with a 2.07 ERA and 58 strikeouts.
- The Tops and Panthers will wrap up the series at the WKU Softball Complex tomorrow, March 17. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT.
How to Follow Hilltopper Softball: For complete information on WKU Softball, follow the team on X at @WKUSoftball, Instagram @WKU_Softball, and Facebook/WKUSoftball.
