BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Coming off their loss to Lindsey Wilson in their first appearance in the Mid-South Conference Softball Tournament, the Lady Tigers looked to ignite their offense and defeat the Bethel University Wildcats in the consolation bracket.
In their last meet-up in the regular season back on April 19
th, the series was split as the Wildcats broke the Lady Tigers' 16-game winning streak. That day, Campbellsville had an early four-run lead but saw it shrink to only one in the fourth inning. In that first game of two, they ultimately were bested by Bethel in the final frame. However, the Lady Tigers responded with a 10-7 win in the second of the doubleheader.
Karson Williams hit the mound for Campbellsville to begin the overcast day. The first batter was retired by Williams, but the Wildcats came out swinging amassing four hits and three runs. A two RBI triple had a subsequent RBI single for three runs. In the Lady Tigers' chance at bat, they were able to get
Lexi Miller to third and Riley Whitney to second but ultimately flied out to leave both on.
In the second frame, an error was the only blemish with the Campbellsville defense. It would be a leadoff double for
Taylor Windell in the second inning but that's all that could be mustered.
Katy Chadwell entered to pitch at the top of the third. Although the Wildcats would get hits five and six, neither would translate to runs. The Lady Tigers' offense was stagnant as a pop-up and a double play made quick work of their opportunity.
The Wildcats would produce a single hit in the fourth inning but that would pale in comparison to the huge six-run, four-hit half-inning Campbellsville put together.
Payton Blades led off with her ninth home run of the season. After garnering their first run of the contest,
Ryleigh Oldham singled pushing
Madison Davis (who had been hit by a pitch) to second. At that point,
Sam McKee entered to run for Davis and the hits kept coming. An error loaded the bases for the Lady Tigers and
Ashby Murt was walked pushing McKee home. After a pitching change by Bethel,
Riley Hurst singled to get an RBI and
Lexi Miller hit an RBI triple to take the lead 6-5.
The Lady Tigers' defense was efficient in the top of the fifth, seeing only four batters and allowing just one hit. Again, the Campbellsville bats would ignite. Davis with a single, a Murt single, a Hurst double, and singles by Miller and Whitney all sent runners in to grow the advantage to 11-5. Blades would keep the hits coming with a single of her own taking Whitney to second. Before the frame would close, Davis would hit one to center field pushing Whitney home for the seven-run lead.
Despite two hits and loaded bases in the top of the sixth, a fielder's choice ended things for the Wildcats. With the chance to end the game via run rule in the bottom of the frame, Murt doubled down the right field line to advance an already-on-base Bowling to third. Hurst would accomplish the feat with a double of her own to left field scoring both.
Although the first half of the contest was notably in favor of Bethel, the Lady Tigers turned on the jets to keep their season alive. The Wildcats had a whopping ten runners left on base and Campbellsville stranded only six. Hurst led the way with five RBIs and Miller was just behind her with four of her own.
The University of Tennessee Firehawks await the Lady Tigers at 8 p.m. ET Saturday night as the winner there will move on to play Sunday as one of the four remaining teams.
