BARBOURVILLE, Ky. – The Lady Tigers took the road to battle the Union Commonwealth University Bulldogs for a Tuesday doubleheader, securing an emphatic sweep with 7-0 and 8-2 victories.
- Center fielder Ashlan Estep was an insurmountable force at the plate, leading the team with six hits, two RBIs, and three runs scored across both games.
- Third baseman Madison Reed was an extra-base machine, ripping three doubles and driving in three runs on the day.
- The pitching trio of Emma Markham, Ellie Coley, and Leah Holland worked together brilliantly, striking out seven Bulldogs while allowing just two runs throughout the doubleheader.
- The Lady Tigers will be back in action, hosting the Cumberland University Phoenix on Friday, April 17, beginning at 3 p.m. ET.
GAME ONE: Campbellsville 7, Union 0
From the opening pitch, the Lady Tigers came onto the field strong.
Macy McCoy stepped up to the plate in the top of the first inning with an RBI single to left field, bringing
Jessie Daniels across the plate. As the bottom of the inning approached, the Campbellsville defense put Union away in 1-2-3 style.
Hannah Hackworth opened the second inning with a single to right field, immediately followed by
Madison Reed ripping an RBI double to second base for Hackworth to score the second run of the day.
Ashlan Estep,
Korey Harris, and
Lydia Jones each subsequently reached base to load the bags, but they were unable to score before the side was retired.
The game saw slow action over the next couple of innings, but the Lady Tigers came into the sixth with relentless offensive efforts. Campbellsville plated four unearned runs throughout the top of the inning to break the game open. The surge began when Reed scored on a fielding error, followed by an RBI single to shortstop by Jones to score Estep. Daniels capped the inning by blasting a two-run double to center field to bring both Jones and Harris home, while the Bulldogs were yet to make it onto the scoreboard.
With another clutch RBI double to right field by Reed, Hackworth crossed the plate again at the top of the seventh. Two Union batters reached base in the home half of the frame, but neither was able to score as the pitching staff finalized the 7-0 shutout.
GAME TWO: Campbellsville 8, Union 2
The Bulldogs came into the second game looking to retaliate, capitalizing on early momentum to score two runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Although the second inning was short-lived for both teams, the Lady Tigers broke through in the top of the third. A sacrifice fly to center field by Jones brought Estep across the plate to tighten the gap on the scoreboard to 2-1.
In the fourth inning, another RBI from Reed (this time a double to left-center) brought McCoy across the plate to tie the score. With the bases loaded moments later, Harris reached first base on a costly fielding error by the first baseman, allowing Reed to score the go-ahead run and steal the lead. The Lady Tigers then put away the Bulldogs in 1-2-3 fashion to close the fourth inning.
In the fifth inning,
Addisyn McNeil came onto the field to pinch-run for Reed. An RBI single to shortstop by Hackworth resulted in another run scored by McCoy. McNeil and Hackworth then extended Campbellsville's lead with two more runs, aided by a stolen base and a throwing error by the catcher. Estep continued to be an insurmountable force at bat, singling to second base and getting Hackworth home once more to make it 6-2.
The Lady Tigers sealed the win in the seventh. Estep laced an RBI single to center field, allowing Hackworth to score yet again. Harris followed with an RBI single to the pitcher, and Estep scored another run to finalize the 8-2 win and secure another series sweep for the Lady Tigers.
