HENDERSON, Tenn. — The Lady Tigers locked up the number two seed in the 2023 Mid-South Conference Championships with their second-day split over the Freed-Hardeman Lady Lions. Down four runs in the seventh of game one, Campbellsville scored five and stole the win. Freed-Hardeman got their single win of the series in the closer, but with their two wins, the Lady Tigers surpassed the Lady Lions in the MSC standings by half a game.
GAME ONE: Campbellsville 6, Freed-Hardeman 5
The game began with a home run to center field by Lexi Miller, her eighth of the season. Riley Hurst followed with a hit and Payton Blades singled up the middle, but no runs would come of their hits. The Lady Lions had a double send in two runs in the bottom of the first and then they scored three runs during their shares of the third and fourth innings, including a two RBI homer.
The Lady Tigers did not score any runs for the next five innings. However, they came back with a purpose in the final inning down four runs. Campbellsville started things in seventh with a Hurst walk then a Blades single to put two on. Taylor Windell then smacked a single to center field, scoing Hurst. Caroline Pitcock was the next up and she was walked too, loading the bases. Shortly after, Morgan Carter also singled to center field, sending Blades home. The Lady Tigers closed their share of the seventh as Kaeleigh Tuck singled up the middle for Pitcock and Windell to take Campbellsville ahead by one. In the Lady Lions' response, their leadoff batter hit a single, but then was caught in a double play. The third out was a grounder and the Lady Tigers completed the massive comeback.
Campbellsville collected seven hits and six runs compared to Freed-Hardeman's twelve hits and five runs in game one.
Courtney Patterson,
Allison Bush, and
Katy Chadwell were the three pitchers for the Lady Tigers, and together they threw 102 pitches compared to Freed-Hardeman's 163 pitches. The Lions threw a .528 strike percentage, and Campbellsville had a .676 strike percentage. The Lady Tigers had eight assists to the Lady Lions' one.
GAME TWO: Campbellsville 3, Freed-Hardeman 6
The Lady Tigers started up the game with two runs in their turn at the top of the first inning from errors by the Lady Lions. Despite their start, Campbellsville sent in no runs for the next five innings while the Lions scored in all but the fourth. The Lady Tigers wouldn't get their first hit of the contest until Blades' double in the sixth grame. During Campbellsville's stint at-bat in the seventh, they attempted the rally again. Following a Keely Bowling single, the bases were loaded after two walks. Hurst got herself an RBI, but that was all the Lady Tigers could muster as they fell 6-3.
Five times the Lady Lions had a two-out RBI. Freed-Hardeman hit .346 outnumbering Campbellsville's low .080. Chadwell, Emily Reynolds, and Selynna Metcalfe were the three pitchers for the Lady Tigers' second game and together they threw 76 pitches compared to Freed-Hardeman's 114.
The #23 Lady Tigers head into the MSC Tournament prepared to face off against the winner of the seventh-seeded Bethel Wildcats and the #8 Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders. That contest will be Thursday, May 4th at 12 p.m. ET.
