Photo - Steve Roberts, WKU Athletics
Leading as much as 3-0 over No. 8 LSU from Tiger Park Tuesday night, WKU Softball would ultimately drop the midweek tilt, 7-3. The Hilltoppers became just the third team to put up three or more runs on the nationally-ranked Tigers this season while moving to 17-8 on the season with the setback. LSU climbed to 23-2 on the year with the non-conference victory.
“Today we were loose and focused,” head coach Amy Tudor started. “Any time you can play a top-ranked opponent at their place and put up three runs against them – which hasn’t happened much – you know your team is confident at the plate. This was the first big game for some of our players and I thought we responded well to the challenge.”
“Jordan Thomas and Paige Carter had big days at the plate as well as Jordan Vorbrink, Rebekah Engelhardt and Maddie Bowlds stepping up with hits for us,” Tudor continued. “We ended up getting to see an All-American in the circle, which always makes for a fun challenge.”
Jordan Thomas led the Red and White off with a single in the first inning from Baton Rouge before Maddie Bowlds moved her into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Paige Carter singled to left field and Thomas came around to score, beating the throw to the plate for a 1-0 WKU lead. Entering the midweek contest, the Hilltoppers were 6-0 on the year when scoring in the first frame.
To lead off the top of the third, Rebekah Engelhardt sent the first pitch she saw to the leftfield corner for her seventh double of the season. Thomas proceeded to draw a walk before Bowlds sent a single back up the middle to score Engelhardt for a 2-0 WKU advantage. The Red and White weren’t done though, Carter stepped into the box for her second at bat of the game and dropped a single into shallow right field to score Thomas from second to push WKU’s lead to 3-0.
WKU chased the LSU pitcher, Maribeth Gorsuch, after 2.0 frames as the Tigers were forced to call upon All-American hurler Allie Walljasper to close out the game. Gorsuch allowed all three of WKU’s runs in the game while four of the Hilltoppers’ seven hits came off Walljasper.
LSU got on the board in the bottom of the third inning with back-to-back singles followed by a home run to centerfield. In the circle, Shelby Nunn responded with a strikeout before the Hilltoppers turned two to get back to the dugout. After sending the Red and White back to the dugout in order, the Tigers struck for two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead at 5-3.
The Tigers added another pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to open up a 7-3 advantage over the Tops, which would end up standing as the final score.
Nunn took the decision in the circle, allowing four runs on six hits with two walks and a strikeout. Kelsey Aikey relieved Nunn in the top of the fourth and worked the next 1.1 innings allowing three runs on three hits. Haylee Towers wrapped up the game for the Hilltopper pitching staff, tossing the game’s final 1.2 innings. Towers allowed three hits, no runs and one walk while striking out three Tigers.
(Courtesy WKU Athletics)
