COLUMBIA, Ky. — The #3-seed Campbellsville University Lady Tigers powered through the second day of the Mid-South Conference Tournament at Sparks Park. Facing elimination, the Lady Tigers battled in a pair of late-inning, high-pressure situations to defeat the #5-seed Georgetown Tigers 3-2 and the #4-seed Freed-Hardeman Lions 5-4, keeping their championship aspirations alive.
- Ellie Coley was the anchor of the Campbellsville pitching staff on Friday, tossing 5.1 combined scoreless innings across both contests to pick up two critical victories.
- First baseman Jessie Daniels sparked the offense when it mattered most, crossing the plate for the game-winning run against Georgetown before delivering the go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning against Freed-Hardeman.
- Outfielder Macy McCoy was a consistent clutch performer, ripping an RBI double in both games to keep the Lady Tiger offense rolling.
- Senior pitcher Emma Markham secured her second save of the season against Georgetown, tossing a flawless seventh inning to keep Campbellsville's tournament run alive.
- The Lady Tigers advance to the third day of the double-elimination tournament, setting up a highly anticipated rematch against the #2-seed Cumberlands Patriots on Saturday, May 2, at 2 p.m. ET.
GAME ONE: Campbellsville 3, Georgetown 2
Junior pitcher
Leah Holland took the circle and settled in early, holding the opposing lineup scoreless through the first four frames.
Campbellsville struck first in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs,
Macy McCoy hit a grounder and reached base on a throwing error by Georgetown's third baseman, allowing
Jessie Daniels to race home for an unearned run. In the bottom of the fourth, McCoy came through again, this time ripping an RBI double to right-center to score
Lydia Jones and extend the lead to 2-0.
Georgetown refused to go quietly, rallying in the top of the fifth inning. A sacrifice fly to right field and an RBI single to third base quickly erased the Campbellsville advantage, knotting the game at 2-2.
With their season on the line, the Lady Tigers manufactured the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth.
Ashlan Estep sparked the offense with a bunt single and was immediately moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jones. Two batters later, Daniels hit a hard ground ball that resulted in another crucial throwing error by the Georgetown third baseman. The miscue provided enough time for Estep to sprint home and score the unearned go-ahead run.
Ellie Coley earned the victory after tossing a scoreless sixth inning in relief. Senior
Emma Markham then entered the game in the top of the seventh, tossing a flawless 1-2-3 inning to earn her second save of the season and secure the 3-2 win.
GAME TWO: Campbellsville 5, Freed-Hardeman 4
Riding the momentum of their opening win, the Lady Tigers faced a dangerous Freed-Hardeman lineup that immediately jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single.
Campbellsville answered emphatically in the home half of the frame.
Karleigh Walker stepped into the box and crushed a two-run double to left field, bringing Jones and
Korey Harris across the plate to take a 2-1 advantage.
The Lions responded with a sheer display of power, launching three solo home runs over the next two innings to reclaim the lead. Hannah Jones hit a solo shot to center in the second inning, followed by back-to-back solo homers from Myleah Hardy and Lynnlee Brown in the third, putting Freed-Hardeman ahead 4-2.
Facing a deficit, Campbellsville turned to Coley out of the bullpen in the third inning, and she completely shifted the momentum. Coley silenced the Lions' heavy hitters, tossing 4.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing just three hits while issuing zero earned runs to completely stabilize the defense.
With Coley holding the line, the Lady Tiger offense went to work. In the bottom of the third, McCoy delivered another clutch hit, lacing an RBI double down the left-field line to score Daniels and cut the deficit to 4-3.
The comeback was completed in the bottom of the sixth. Following a single by Harris and a single to right field from Estep, Jones laid down a perfectly executed RBI bunt single to score Harris and tie the game at 4-4. With the pressure mounting, Daniels threaded the needle, ripping the go-ahead RBI single through the left side of the infield to score Estep.
Armed with a 5-4 lead, Coley marched back into the circle for the seventh inning. Despite the Lions managing to put a runner on base, Coley induced a game-ending fielder's choice to secure her second win of the day and cap off the thrilling comeback.
The Lady Tigers will now advance to the third day of the MSC Tournament, where they will face the #2-seed Cumberlands Patriots on Saturday, May 2 at 2 p.m. ET.
