BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — (BOX SCORE) For the second time in the Mid-South Conference tournament, St. Catharine College knocks off top-seeded Campbellsville. The Lady Tigers fell, 4-3 in the elimination finals on Saturday afternoon.

With the win the Patriots advance to the championship game of the conference tournament to face Lindsey Wilson later on Saturday.

Coming into the conference tournament, Campbellsville (34-8) was a perfect 20-0 against St. Catharine but the Patriots rode the right arm of Krystal Cammuse.

Cammuse defeated the Tigers for the second time in three days, tossing a one-hit shutout in a 1-0 victory two days ago to put Campbellsville in the loser's bracket. The senior righthander gave up just four hits and walked five while striking out five, with two hits and two errors contributing to the Tigers three runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Defense was the story in the four first innings of the game, with Kendyl Ahrens making a pair of tremendous grabs in the top of the first inning, the first one on a sinking line drive against Tiffany Wickline to start the game and the other two batters later on a line drive in left-center by Carly Benz.

Each team managed just two hits and Cammuse issued one walk through the first four innings, but a leadoff single by Cammuse in the fifth began a big rally for the Patriots.

Brittany McKee moved pinch-runner Emily Fenwick to second with a sacrifice bunt and Christina Day singled sharply to center, putting runners on the corners. Katie Hansgen's single to shallow center scored Fenwick and Brandi Hood's grounder was booted by second baseman Shelby Ray, loading the bases.

Campbellsville made a pitching change and Victoria Decker hit the first batter she faced, Wickline, forcing in a run. With two outs Benz singled to left and the ball took a wicked bounce past Ahrens, who was injured on the play. Two runs scored, giving the Patriots a 4-0 advantage.

The lead was short-lived, though, and a pair of St. Catharine miscues helped the Tigers plate three runs in the bottom of the inning.

Rebecca Miller drew a leadoff walk and Adrean Jordan's grounder to the right side was misplayed by second baseman Kelsey Brooks. Ray's sacrifice bunt was almost misplayed, as she pushed it by first baseman Shelbi Thornhill, but Brooks was there to pick it up and step on the first base bag at just about the same time for the first out.

Jacqueline Roof followed with a two-run single to left and Wickline misplayed the ball, which rolled all the way to the wall and allowed Roof to circle the bases and cut the SCC lead to 4-3.

Campbellsville had base runners on in the sixth and seventh innings but were unable to scratch a run. Miller reached on a one-out walk but was stranded in the sixth. Also, Brianna Scott reached via Cammuse's fifth walk but Kristin Benton lined out to center field and Hailey Szpila struck out to end CU's chance of a comeback.  

Campbellsville will now await their fate for an at-large bid in the NAIA Opening Round. CU came into the tournament ranked No. 7 in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll but may drop outside the Top 10 with the two loses to St. Catharine.

The final regular-season edition of the NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 Poll – used to decide the nine at-large teams for the upcoming National Championship Opening Round – will be announced on Thursday, May 7 at 4 p.m. CDT. The 40 national championship opening round qualifiers will be announced on May 7 at 5 p.m., followed by a video selection show announcing the pairings and brackets at 7 p.m.