Softball 5/14/2019 9:59:00 PM CU Athletics

Championship series is setup with Lady Tigers needing to win two over Mobile on Wednesday

GULF SHORES — Remember that feeling! That's the phrase that always pops into my head when it comes to Lady Tiger softball in the NAIA Opening Round Championship. It's happened only one time in history, but Campbellsville is seeking to battle from the loser's bracket and punch their ticket to the NAIA World Series.

The Lady Tigers meet top-seeded University of Mobile on Wednesday at Noon ET for the championship series. Campbellsville (35-14) will have to knock off the Rams (51-11) twice to earn its second bid to the World Series. Fans can tune into the CU Sports Network starting at 11:45.

But to remember that feeling 100%, graduate assistant Rebecca Miller jokingly said it best, "We'll have to win game one tomorrow in 12 innings like we did my freshman year in 2015."

That's where the memories fall. Campbellsville fell victim to a 3-2 loss to the University of Rio Grande in the opening game and had to rally in 2015. CU won four-straight games, including a 12-inning thriller over the host USC Beaufort Sand Sharks in game one of the championship series.

If only Miller could suit up one last time… I promise you one thing, she'll be all in her feels if Campbellsville can pull off the upsets tomorrow. Are you curious to read about that tournament and take a stroll down memory lane, check out the 2015 tournament page HERE.

Scouting Mobile:

The Rams have had smooth sailing in their first two games in the Opening Round. Mobile defeated Edward Waters, 17-0, in four innings and then Corban University, 4-1.
The Mobile Rams won the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament Championship and are competing in their third NAIA Opening Round.
Mobile has an overall record of 11-3 in their opening round appearances.
The Rams are 52-11 on the year and went 26-6 in SSAC play to out-pace William Carey by two games in the standings.
The Rams are totally the opposite of Campbellsville at the plate. Mobile uses the short game to manufacture its runs, much like Corban, while the Lady Tigers like the long ball and extra base hits.
Led by Maddie Burchell's .379 batting average on the season, she is fourth on the team with 30 RBI but has stolen 27-of-30 bases.
Four Rams have double-figure stolen bags. Led by Emily Fleetwood (37/37), Burchell (27/30), Allison Vincent (20/21) and Savannah Woodruff (14/16).
In the circle, Mobile is led by Erika Greek and Hope Cain. Greek boasts a 0.89 ERA with a 12-4 record and 14 complete-game shutouts. Greek has tossed 164.1 innings and struck out 198 batters.
Cain has a 1.20 ERA with a 25-3 record and a team-high 192.1 innings.
The Rams rank No. 1 in inning pitched (424), No. 3 in opponents' batting average (.176) and No. 4 in ERA (1.26).

Will Campbellsville's offense be up for the challenge?

Campbellsville leads the country by hitting 1.4 home runs per game, but the Lady Tigers have only one in the postseason. Payton Blades led off today's first elimination game vs. Edward Waters with her 11th round tripper.
CU's slugging percentage is also eighth in the country at .548 but the Lady Tigers only have seven extra base hits in three games thus far in the Opening Round.
The Lady Tigers had to manufacture runs in a different way today. A couple infield singles and aggressive base running led to their four runs in the sixth inning vs. Corban. That setup the Ryley Whitney game-winning two-run double.
Whitney is hitting .347 on the year and has now hit safely in nine straight games.
Blades remains at the top of the CU batting average ranks with a .356 mark.
Hurst is leading the Lady Tigers in the RBI category with 46 but has only one in the postseason – a RBI double against Cumberlands in the MSC Tournament.
Mia Aldridge had three hits against Corban today to work her average back to .336. Aldridge helped setup the two-run double by Whitney with a two-out single up the middle and ended up scoring the game-winning run today.

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Players Mentioned

#22 Rebecca Miller: C; 5' 5"; Senior; Louisville, Ky.

#4 Mia Aldridge: LF; 5' 7"; Junior; Lawrenceburg, Ky.

#15 Ryley Whitney: C; 5' 9"; Sophomore; Scottsville, Ky.

#2 Payton Blades: RHP/UTIL; 5' 5"; Freshman; Island, Ky.

Players Mentioned

#22 Rebecca Miller
: 5' 5"; Senior; Louisville, Ky.
: C

#4 Mia Aldridge
: 5' 7"; Junior; Lawrenceburg, Ky.
: LF

#15 Ryley Whitney
: 5' 9"; Sophomore; Scottsville, Ky.
: C

#2 Payton Blades
: 5' 5"; Freshman; Island, Ky.
: RHP/UTIL