MCKENZIE, Tenn. – Campbellsville continued its Easter Break trip on Saturday afternoon against the Bethel Wildcats. In the first game, the Lady Tigers won 8-0, limiting the Wildcats to just two hits. In the second and concluding game, the Lady Tigers clawed their way back from an early deficit to steal a thrilling 13-11 victory in a back-and-forth battle.
Jessie Daniels had a career outing in the finale with three home runs, four runs scored, five hits, and six RBIs.
GAME ONE: Campbellsville 8, Bethel 0
The starting pitcher for Campbellsville,
Katy Chadwell, was lights-out on the mound. She carved through the Wildcats lineup, keeping them scoreless on just two hits. Chadwell struck out four batters and looked dominant throughout the outing.
The Lady Tigers wasted no time getting on the board. In the top of the first inning,
Emily Reynolds got the Lady Tigers going with a single; quickly after
Caroline Pitcock got on base, Reynolds was brought around by a
Lindsey Mitchell double to give Campbellsville an early 1-0 lead.
Keely Bowling brought Pitcock home with an RBI single to bring the score to 2-0 at the end of the first frame. The scoring continued in the second inning when
Callie Webb walked, followed by a Jesse Daniels fielder choice right after; Pitcock singled to bring Daniels into the score. The Lady Tigers scored three runs on three hits with three runners left on base to bring the score to 5-0.
Bethel's pitching struggled to find the zone. The Tigers capitalized on their free baserunners, with Pitcock and Bowling each contributing RBI singles in the second and third innings, respectively.
The third inning saw the Tigers put the game away with a flurry of hits. Daniels led off the inning with a double, and Reynolds followed with a double to drive her in. After, Pitcock stepped up to the plate and delivered a bases-clearing double, extending the advantage to 8-0.
With a comfortable lead and no scores in the fourth or fifth frames, Campbellsville opted to end the game early due to the mercy rule. Both Reynolds and Pitcock had three hits in the contest for the team-high. Chadwell struck out four batters.
GAME TWO: Campbellsville 13, Bethel 11
Daniels got the Tigers on the board first, launching a solo home run in the top of the first. But their celebration was short-lived as Bethel exploded for a staggering five runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Unfazed, Daniels stepped up to the plate again in the top of the second and delivered a thunderous three-run home run, bringing the Tigers back within one. The pitching remained shaky on both sides, with Bethel plating three more runs in their half of the second.
Campbellsville refused to go down without a fight, though. In the top of the fourth frame, Pitcock joined the home run party with a clutch three-run shot, tying the game at 8. The see-saw battle continued as Bethel scraped across two more runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Down by two runs entering the sixth, Campbellsville wasn't finished yet. Pitcock launched her second home run of the game, a solo shot to pull the Tigers within one run. With momentum shifting, Webb followed up with a clutch double, setting the stage for Daniels' heroics. Daniels, who had already been a thorn in Bethel's side all game, delivered the knockout blow. She crushed a two-run homer, giving Campbellsville the lead for the first time since the top of the first inning. Bethel managed to add one more run in their final at-bat, but it wasn't enough. Campbellsville secured a dramatic 13-11 victory, capping off a night of resilience and offensive fireworks.
Daniels had a whopping three home runs, four runs scored, five hits, and six RBIs to lead the Lady Tigers in game two. Pitcock notched career-highs too with her two homers and four RBIs.
The Lady Tigers will be back in action at home on Friday, April 5th. The games are set to begin at 2 & 4 p.m. ET against Freed-Hardeman.
