Softball 4-29-18

Softball Jordan Alves

Somber day ends in exciting way as CU closes regular season with series split vs. #11 Lindsey Wilson

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 COLUMBIA, Ky. — A somber afternoon turned into an exciting finish to the 2018 regular season for fourth-ranked Campbellsville, as the Lady Tigers split a weekend Mid-South Conference series with No. 11 Lindsey Wilson College.
 
The Lady Tigers saw their All-American third baseman, Tori Humphrey, go down with a knee injury in a 12-2 run-rule loss in game one, but Rebecca Miller made a #SCTop10 diving play in left field to secure game two's 4-2 win to close out regular season play. 
 
With the split, Campbellsville ends the regular season with a 41-8 record – the fifth 40-win season in Shannon Wathen's 15 years as head coach. The Lady Tigers claimed their MSC-leading eighth regular season crown and earned the top-seed in the upcoming conference tournament next weekend. Lindsey Wilson moved to 37-12 and will be the No. 2-seed. 
 
Game one: Lindsey Wilson 12, Campbellsville 2 (6 innings) 
 
The run-rule loss is just the second for CU all season, as Thomas University won 9-0 in five innings in the Gulf Coast Invitational on March 2. 
 
Pitchers Neely Quint (25-2) and Karson Williams were both roughed up and the Lady Tiger defense faltered with four errors in the opener. Quint tossed the first three innings, allowing five runs – three earned – and struck out two. She exited with a 5-1 deficit to start the fourth, but Williams allowed six hits and seven earned runs in the final 2.2 innings.
 
Abby Whelan was terrific in the circle for LWC, allowing only four hits and one earned run to keep her perfect record alive at 8-0. 
 
The Blue Raiders got on the board first in the opening inning. Quint struck out the first two batters she saw but Lindsey Wilson's Alaeni Ray reached on a two-out walk, Sydney Fourman reached on an error and Cassie Matlock delivered an RBI single for the unearned run. 
 
The Lady Tigers got the run right back in the second. Brianna Scott walked with one out and stole second to set up a base hit by Dana Adkins. On the play, Matlock attempted to throw Adkins out at first base but the balled ricocheted away to allow Scott to score on the first of two LWC errors. 
 
The wheels fell off in the home-half of the second. Two straight singles and an error loaded the bases with no outs and Lyric Houston singled to drive in two for the Blue Raiders. She was followed with another two-run single by Ray to put LWC ahead, 5-1, after two. 
 
Campbellsville cut the deficit to three with a single run in the fifth, as Ryley Whitney delivered a two-out bases-loaded single up the middle.
 
But the Blue Raiders got two of those runs back with a two-run homer by freshman Kalli Harris to push the deficit to five, 7-2. Then a few batters later with runners on first and second and no outs, Cassie Kooker's sac bunt attempt rolled down the third-base line and All-American Tori Humphrey decided at the last second to let the ball roll foul. When she planted, her knee buckled and gave everyone in the park a scare. She exited and did not return. 
 
The Blue Raiders put an exclamation mark in the sixth, as Callum Pilgrim walked off with a three-run homer for the 12-2 win. 
 
Game two: Campbellsville 4, Lindsey Wilson
 
The series finale was a knock-down drag-out for both squads and it looked as if the wheels were falling off for CU in the first innings. 
 
Jacqueline Roof led off the game with her ninth home run of the season but LWC scored two runs on a sacrifice bunt in the home-half. Houston's sac bunt was fielded by Dana Adkins at third base, but her throw sailed all the way down the right field line allowing two runs to score. 
 
But that was the only blemish pitcher Morgan Gailor and the defense allowed. She went the distance for her 13thcomplete-game of the season, allowing the two unearned runs and only four hits. 
 
The Lady Tigers picked up a two-run moon-shot homer by Alexis Smith in the third – her 10thof the season to match Humphrey's mark and finish the regular season ranked second in the MSC in that category. 
 
Leading 3-2 entering the fourth, CU picked up an insurance run by taking advantage of one of the two Lindsey Wilson errors. Kelly Wheeler walked to lead off the frame and scored on an RBI single by Smith. 
 
Smith finished with two hits and drove in three in the win. The three RBI pushes her team-high to 51 on the season. 
 
The game wasn't over yet, as Gailor had to battle out of a major jam in the fifth. Kooker singled and Pilgrim reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on first and second with no outs. But Houston's sac bunt attempt was popped up and Ray flied out to Miller in left field for two quick outs. After walking Fourman to load the bases, Gailor induced a ground ball to end the threat. 
 
Gailor sat down six of the final seven to close it out but it was her long-time teammate Rebecca Miller saving the day. With the game-tying run at the plate, Ray sent a ball to the left-field corner and Miller made a diving catch going towards the fair line to secure the CU victory. 

The Lady Tigers will play Kentucky Christian University on Friday in the MSC Tournament with a time TBA later Sunday night. 
 
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