MOBILE, Ala. — The Campbellsville University Lady Tigers stopped in Mobile, Ala., on the way to their tournament in Gulf Shores to pick up a couple games. CU defeated Cardinal Stritch University out of Wisconsin, 5-2, but couldn't respond to the hot bats of Spring Hill College (Ala.), falling 8-1.
Campbellsville 5, Cardinal Stritch University 2
Cardinal Stritch University (Wis.) couldn't handle the Lady Tiger pitching, going hitless for the first six innings. Four walks and a single-hit, though, gave CU a scare, allowing two to cross the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Fortunately, Campbellsville had already accumulated five runs which secured the Lady Tiger victory.
Stritch started off the top of the first giving two free rides they would soon regret. Leadoff batter Emma Napier reached base on a shortstop error, followed by Kristen Benton who was walked. With two outs, sophomore catcher Sarah Paragon ripped an outside pitch down the right field line for a 2-RBI double, scoring both Napier and Benton (2-0 CU).
Brooke Boils was the next to cross the plate for the Lady Tigers in the second after reaching on a walk, and then being batted in by a Napier's triple to right center.
Freshman Victoria Decker pitched the initial four innings for CU, striking out five batters and allowing no hits. She passed the ball along to Taylor Wroe who continued the no-hitter in the fifth and sixth innings.
Paragon's bat stayed hot in the sixth, this time taking the ball over the left field fence and putting CU at 4-0 on the scoreboard.
Campbellsville's Adrean Jordan, pinch hitting for Shelby Ray, started off the seventh with a walk. Ray re-entered and advanced to second on a pass ball, then to third on Kacie Vincent's slap.
Taylor Borders racked up her second hit of the game with a shot to left that scored Ray for another Lady Tiger run, 5-0 CU.
Stritch finally made some noise in the bottom of the seventh. Martina Riney began the inning in the circle for Campbellsville, but after striking out the initial batter had trouble finding the zone. Kelsi Pardue was sent in as relief with two outs and bases loaded off of three walks.
The freshman gave another free ride, scoring the first Stritch run. Shannon Caliri was next in the box and was the only CSU to get a hit, grounding between third and short. Borders, who was behind the plate for CU, finally ended the game on a throw-down, picking off Caliri from first base.
Campbellsville 1, Spring Hill 8
CU couldn't match the bats of Spring Hill College which ended with 10 hits on the afternoon as opposed to Campbellsville's three. Borders and Napier were the only Lady Tigers to manage a hit.
Spring Hill was first on the board after Shea Blachard reached second on a bobbled grounder down down the line then was hit in by Taylor Webre (1-0 Spring Hill).
The Badgers' bats were unstoppable in the the third, as six players had six consecutive hits, three doubles and three singles, putting the score at 5-0.
SHC pitcher, Caroline Sagrera held CU to a no hitter until the fourth when Napier hit a gap grounder to the left of the short stop. Borders stepped up with two outs, hitting her third of the day and lining a double to right-center to bring Napier across the plate (5-1 Spring Hill).
Napier had a double in the top of the sixth, but was left stranded as no other Lady Tiger could reach base. Sagrera ended with 12 strikeouts.
Three errors in the bottom the sixth that allowed yet another two runs for Spring Hill.
The split puts Campbellsville at 8-5 on the season and sets up travel to Gulf Shores, Ala. for the Gulf Shores Invitational beginning on Friday. To follow the team, go to www.campbellsvilletigers.edu.
