PORSTMOUTH, Ohio. – The #22 Campbellsville University softball team traveled up north to Shawnee State University for a four-game series. Over the course of the first two contests Friday afternoon, Campbellsville's defense ensured they took both against the Bears.
Game one: Campbellsville 2, Shawnee State 1
To begin the competition, Campbellsville put players on the bases. The Lady Tigers were struggling to get further than first base as the Bears kept pursuing the lead runner. After four batters, Campbellsville retired their offensive side. With
Katy Chadwell on the mound, the Lady Tigers put away the top of the Bears' lineup. Although Shawnee acquired one hit, Campbellsville snuffed the last batter with a strikeout.
Two Lady Tigers returned to the dugout after their at bats were twisted into plays on the field.
Ryleigh Oldham and
Keely Bowling found themselves on first, but Campbellsville closed out the top of the inning with stranded runners.
Action did not begin to ramp up until
Payton Blades doubled to left center. In order to move her around the diamond,
Sam McKee opted for a sacrifice fly for Blades to reach third. However, the Lady Tigers were unsuccessful in their mission to bring across a run. Shawnee State returned in the bottom of the fourth with a run. This run had been scored as a result of a couple singles. Campbellsville trailed 1-0.
In the fifth inning,
Riley Hurst amassed a single to left field to get the Lady Tiger bats going.
Lexi Miller followed her teammate down the first base line as she collected a walk.
Ryley Whitney evened the score with an RBI double. Blades grounded out to first base for the second out, but her hit gave Miller time to reach home. Campbellsville had gotten their first lead of the game with Blades's hit.
In the final inning, Hurst reached first on a Shawnee error. The Lady Tigers sacrificed earning their bases in order to push Hurst around towards home. Both Miller and Whitney suffered being put out, but as a result had Hurst rounding the bags. A fly ball solidified the third out and Campbellsville were forced to hold the Bears at one run. The Bears attempted to move runners, but Campbellsville was set on getting the lead runner out. The Lady Tigers eeked out the win 2-1 over the Bears.
Hitting was seldom in game one against the Bears. Bowling finished her time at the plate at a .500 while Hurst and Whitney remained close behind with a .333 each. The two game winning RBIs belonged to Whitney and Blades. Chadwell pitched a full game and finished with .722 strike-percentage which stood above the Bears' .602 strike-percentage.
Game two: Campbellsville 5, Shawnee State 2
The first inning started off with a double down the line from Hurst. Miller followed up with a homerun over the left field wall. As the Lady Tigers were up by two runs, second and third base were occupied by Whitney and Blades. McKee was then hit by pitch to load up the bases completely. All runners were stranded as Campbellsville was unable to bat in any more runs. Shawnee State acquired a hit but did not develop any runs as a result due to strong Lady Tiger defense.
The next two innings was quiet with only one hit coming from either team. In the top of the fourth inning and with one out,
Ashby Murt singled to left field. After Hurst trotted down the first base from her walk, Miller drove a ball to right-field to propel runners into scoring position. Whitney collected her first RBI of game two when her line out to center scored Murt. The Bears rallied back in the bottom of the inning with two hits, but Campbellsville defense remained solid to put an end to the Bears energy.
Karson Williams occupied the circle and continued to force the Bears into outs. By the close of the fifth inning, Williams and Lady Tiger defense had kept Shawnee State at a run-less score. Murt began the sixth inning with a walk. Shen then collected a stolen base and Miller trailed with a walk. As the two sat on first and second, Whitney singled to center to score Murt and advance Miller to second. Miller crossed home plate as a result of Blades' RBI single but had been put out at second to finish the top of the inning. Shawnee State suffered two outs when a single to center field scored two runs for the Bears.
In the seventh inning, Campbellsville was retired in three batters. However, Williams pitched valiantly and knocked out the top of Shawnee's lineup with a backwards K and plays on the field by Hurst and Murt.
Whitney had a complete game at the plate as she finished batting 1.000. Whitney collected two out of the five RBIs which were founded by Miller (2 RBIs) and Blades (1 RBI). Miller, Windell, and Murt finalized a .500 at the plate. Williams finished her full game in the circle with a .670 strike-percentage. Williams faced 28 batters and threw only 88 pitches.
The Lady Tigers will return to Shawnee State tomorrow afternoon to close out their regular season games. The double-header against the Bears is set to begin at 12 p.m. ET.
