DANVILLE, Ky. - Maybe it's the patience of a seasoned coach? Or, maybe you can credit Tina Wroe's jalapeno bites? Who knows, someone may have sacrificed a free-range chicken.



Whatever it was, the sleeping giant known as Lady Tiger Softball awakened Friday for three straight wins in the Mid-South Conference Tournament at Millennium Park and will be playing tomorrow in the finals against Lindsey Wilson College. Game time is 11:00, with an if necessary game slated for 1:00.

The team that had scored only six runs in a seven-loss, eight-game stretch working up to Friday, broke loose for 26 runs on 39 hits. The wins improve CU to 37-21.

And it is hard to come up with just one hero. Maybe it was Sara Paragon who went 4-4 in the 11-6 win over UVa.-Wise. Or, look at this stat line drawn up by Bailey Dillender: Six hits on the day and seven RBIs. Better yet, take Heather Oakley. The sophomore from Lexington shook off two strikeouts against St. Catharine and pummeled a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh that put CU in the MSC finals.

It didn't seem to matter who it was.

Campbellsville 11, UVa.-Wise 6

The Lady Tigers trailed the Cavaliers 3-1 after 2 ½, but after a five-run fourth and three-run fifth they took control.

Wise touched up starter Courtney Turpin for three runs on six hits. Taylor Wroe came in and gave up two hits before seeing relief by Martina Riney in the top of the sixth.

Leading 10-3 at the time, Riney got in trouble by walking the bases loaded and then gave up consecutive singles that closed UVa.-Wise to within 10-6. Turpin re-entered and retired the side and then set Wise down in order in the seventh.

Paragon had four hits, all singles and Dillender three RBI singles. Jordan Cornett and Brooke Boils had two-hit games and Heather Oakley (HR), Emma Napier, Kristin Benton, Kacie Vincent and Jennifer England all reached safely in the 16-hit attack.

Campbellsville 7, Shawnee State 1

The Lady Tigers fell behind 1-0 in this one before scoring the final seven runs of the game.

Emma Napier parked a two-RBI shot with Kacie Vincent aboard in the third for what turned out to be the only runs CU would need.

But the scored remained 2-1 until the sixth when Sara Paragon's homer scored two. And then in the top of the seventh, Bailey Dillender's sacrifice fly scored a run before Heather Oakley's double scored two more.

Taylor Wroe pitched four innings of six-hit ball. Courtney Turpin was great in relief, setting the Lady Bears down on one hit while striking out six.

Campbellsville's 14-hit attack featured three-hit games by Napier and Oakley and two-hit performances by Jordan Cornett and Jennifer England. Dillender had a double, Vincent and Kristin Benton singles and Paragon a home run.

Campbellsville 8, St. Catharine 6

Courtney Turpin could not stand prosperity. The sophomore from Lawrenceburg gave up a two-out. two-run homer in the second to Krystal Cammuse and then in the fourth gave up another two-run shot to Amber Matteoli after walking Taylor Steff.

Taylor Wroe relieved Turpin in the fifth, but not until after Hagan Goldey hit a two-out homer that gave the Lady Patriots a 6-4 lead at the time. Wroe did not allow a hit the rest of the way.

CU tied it in the fifth when Jennifer England's single scored Jordan Cornett and Bailey Dillender.

Campbellsville picked up two runs in the first off Dillender's homer and two more in the third with Dillender's two-run double.

With one out in the seventh, Dillender was hit by a pitch and the Heather Oakley hit a game-winning four-bagger to left.

Dillender, Cornett and England had two-hit games and Oakley, Emma Napier and Sara Paragon had one hit apiece.