BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The third-seeded Lady Tigers (27-16, 14-10 MSC) began their Mid-South Conference Tournament quest Thursday afternoon, first facing the Cumberland Phoenix (21-18, 8-16 MSC). Campbellsville used a six-inning onslaught to move past Cumberland and then take on the second-seeded Freed-Hardeman Lions (28-16, 15-9 MSC) later in the afternoon where neither team scored until the fifth inning, but the Lions scored just enough to defeat the Lady Tigers.
GAME ONE: Campbellsville 8, Cumberland 1
In their series back in March, Campbellsville took three of the four contests against Cumberland. The first was a sixth-inning run rule and the next two victories were by just a single run.
The Phoenix led off with a single, but starting pitcher
Katy Chadwell found her fielders prepared as her fellow Lady Tigers forced three back-to-back outs, including catching that runner who reached attempting to steal third.
Lindsey Mitchell registered a hit for Campbellsville to kick off their offensive efforts in the game, but no other production was sustained.
Cumberland scored due to near-consecutive errors in the second inning to take the early advantage.
Taylor Windell's single and then
Kaeleigh Tuck's double brought the equalizing run to third, but Windell was left stranded. The Phoenix got another leadoff single in the third frame, but the Campbellsville fielding clamped down to prevent any damage. After
Caroline Pitcock hit a single, she advanced to second on a wild pitch. With Mitchell walked right behind her,
Keely Bowling earned her 42nd RBI of the season smacking a double to left center field.
With the contest knotted going into the fourth, the Phoenix couldn't make anything happen. Other than a single hit by Tuck, the Lady Tigers didn't muster any additional offense. After holding Cumberland to a single in the fifth inning, Campbellsville had Pitcock get the offense moving with a leadoff triple and she then scored from the right fielder's error. Subsequently, Mitchell continued the streak with her own single. Bowling was then walked and two Lady Tigers were on base with just one away. However, a double play ended the scoring opportunity.
In the sixth frame, everything changed. Following the defense's one-hit limit, the offense ignited. Tuck began things with a single,
Camille Conkright followed with a double, and then
Jessie Daniels sent her first postseason ball over the fence to bring all three to home plate. With the 5-1 lead and two outs, both Mitchell and Bowling doubled which made things 6-1. Then, Windell's hit grabbed the team an RBI single to make it 7-1 before
Morgan Carter's own single sent Windell home for the 8-1 advantage. Ultimately, Campbellsville amassed six runs and seven hits in the inning.
Ellie Coley entered to relieve Chadwell and bring the game home in the seventh frame. She struck out a batter for the second out before sitting another down, ending the game 8-1.
Daniels paced the squad with her three RBIs and Bowling was just behind her with two. Eight Lady Tigers registered a hit in the contest with five players (Pitcock, Mitchell, Bowling, Windell, and Tuck) logging multiple. Chadwell had three strikeouts in her six innings and Coley had two in her sole frame.
GAME TWO: Campbellsville 1, Freed-Hardeman 2
Inversely compared to their Cumberland games, for Campbellsville's 2024 series against Freed-Hardeman at Hord Softball Field, the Lady Tigers suffered three losses (two by one run).
Looking to leave that series in the past, the Lady Tigers didn't waste time notching a hit.
Emily Reynolds singled up the middle to get on base and then stole second, but it was futile as their offense stalled. In response,
Courtney Patterson faced two hits and three Lions got on base, but a strikeout and a line out sent the Campbellsville offense back out onto the field. Freed-Hardeman (.333) had the second best batting percentage in the MSC for the season, with Campbellsville (.329) just behind in third.
It was three up, three down for the Lady Tigers in inning two and the Lions suffered the same fate. In the third frame, Campbellsville collected their first multiple hit at-bat, but nothing came of it. Freed-Hardeman responded with a leadoff bunt, but following a strikeout, she was caught in a double play that brought the contest into the fourth. There, it was another solo hit (a single by Bowling) for the Lady Tigers before their stint at the plate was cut short. A pop-up, a groundout, and a flyout meant a quick offensive frame for the Lions too.
In the top of the fifth, Campbellsville got their first run of the contest. Tuck was on base from her leadoff single and Daniels connected for a double past the third baseman to send her to home plate. For Freed-Hardeman's rebuttal, they put together three hits and had the bases loaded. Chadwell entered to try and secure the final out, but another single sent home two runs before she could get a strikeout.
For their sixth inning share, the Lady Tigers went three up, three down. Looking to corral any Lion momentum, they forced a three up, three down too. With just a half inning to make noise, Campbellsville sent three batters to the plate and all three were sent to the dugout.
A lot of the statistics between the two squads are the same or negligibly different. However, the on-base slugging percentage was .481 for the Lady Tigers and .612 for the Lions; Freed-Hardeman was a bit more productive with threatening to score. Daniels had a team-high two hits and one RBI. She also had the only hit better than a single for the team with her initial double.
Now in the single-elimination, consolation bracket, the Lady Tigers will take on Georgetown College on Friday, May 3rd at 2:30 p.m. ET.
