MOBILE, Ala. - Campbellsville began its Alabama softball swing with a triple-header on Wednesday at the University of Mobile, leaving with a 2-1 record, unable to pull off the trifecta. The Lady Tigers beat Morningside and Madonna colleges earlier in the day, but were unable to defeat the host school in the nightcap.
Campbellsville 4, Morningside 1
Heather Oakley homered in the second inning for the only run the Lady Tigers (10-5) would need in defeating Morningside, 4-1. Morningside is receiving votes on the NAIA pre-season poll.
After
Emma Napier scored in the first on a Kristen Benton double, Oakley's second homer of the season (a team-leading stat at the time) led off the second.
Morningside (3-5) would close to within one, 2-1, in the fifth as CU starter,
Courtney Turpin, wiggled her way out of a bases-loaded jam. Two Campbellsville errors in the frame didn't help matters, as the run was actually unearned. But with the sacks loaded, Turpin coaxed a fly out by Jordan Johnson to squelch the potential rally.
Turpin would strand five runners and her relief,
Martina Riney, would strand two. Turpin allowed three hits in five innings of work to pick up the win. Riney got the save with one-hit pitching over two innings. Riney allowed her one hit, a single to Courtney Vaughn in the top of the sixth, and then walked Emily Wassom with one out. The staff held Morningside to a .167 batting average and Riney set Morningside down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh.
Napier had a big day at the plate for the Lady Tigers. The junior from Scottsville, Ky. had a single, double and triple, knocking in two important insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Oakley and
Sara Paragon were issued walks before Napier plated pinch runner Kara Reese and
Jordan Cornett, who reached on a fielder's choice.
Five of the seven Campbellsville hits were for extra bases. Benton and
Jennifer England added doubles and Cornett had a single.
Campbellsville 8, Madonna 6
The Lady Tigers had to rally in the fifth and sixth innings to improve to 11-5 after an impressive start that saw CU leading 4-0 after two frames.
Trailing 6-4 in the bottom of the fourth, the Lady Tigers used a Kristen Benton homer and an RBI-single by
Jordan Cornett to tie the score. Two runs in the top of the sixth proved to be the difference makers.
In the sixth,
Kacie Vincent reached on an error and
Bailey Dillender hit her second home run of the season, a two-run shot.
Brooke Boils had a solo homer in the second. Dillender plated a run in the first and a double by
Heather Oakley scored two more runs.
Taylor Wroe got roughed up in the third when two errors and a three-run homer by Erin Mayes were her undoing. Wroe allowed seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. Riney pitched 3 2/3 innings of no-hit ball, giving her teammates the chance to make the comeback.
Oakley had a three-hit game. Vincent, Dillender and Benton two hits and EmmaNapier had one hit.
Mobile 3, Campbellsville 1
CU could manage but three hits off Mobile's Alli Hall. She fanned eight Lady Tigers and stranded six runners.
Campbellsville (11-6) had the bases loaded in the third and could not push across a score, and had runners on in the sixth and seventh frames.
Kacie Vincent scored the Lady Tigers' only run in the fifth after a lead-off walk. She was advanced to second on
Bailey Dillender's grounder and was plated by Kristen Benton's double. Dillender and
Brooke Boils had the only other hits.
Courtney Turpin shouldered the loss, giving up seven hits in six innings. She walked four and struck out two.
Johnna Barnes had an RBI single for Mobile, which is ranked 22nd in the NAIA, in the second and Turpin issued a bases-loaded walk in the fifth. Barnes' homer in the sixth rounded out the scoring.
The Lady Tigers will begin play in the Gulf Shore Classic tomorrow when they play Notre Dame at 4:30 and William Carey at 8:30.
