Softball splits final day of Hilltopper Spring Fling

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Softball went 1-1 on the final day of the Hilltopper Spring Fling for the last of non-conference tournaments before Conference USA action opens. In an early five innings, the Red and White took care of Northern Illinois, 10-2, before falling to Southern Illinois, 2-0, in extras.

Brylee Hage went 3-for-4 in the batter’s box against the Huskies as the Tops plated 10 off of 12 hits. Katie Gardner was lights-out from the circle against SIU, allowing only one hit through a complete seven innings and striking out seven at the plate.

GAME 1: WKU 10, NIU 2 [5inn.]

Northern Illinois got going off of starting pitching Kelsie Houchens in the top of the first, picking up an unearned run from an RBI single up the middle for a quick 1-0 lead.

Taylor Sanders and the Hilltoppers never trailed on the scoreboard starting from the bottom of one, as the slugger picked up her seventh home run of the season, plating two. Now with her 38th career home run on The Hill, Sanders is tied for the program record in career home runs.

In the bottom of the second, Morgan Sharpe plated Jessica Bush across home as she picked up a sacrifice-fly into left field.

A big fourth inning for the home team, Sophie Weber kicked off the Hilltopper offense with a two-run RBI double down the left field line before Kelsey Schmidt drew a bases-loaded walk for a 7-1 lead.

Later in the frame, Jessica Bush earned an RBI groundout to score Randi Drinnon, as TJ Webster ended the scoring run for the Tops on a quick infield bunt back to the pitcher, collecting an RBI in the process.

NIU plated one more to prevent run-rule in the fifth inning with a solo home run off of Houchens right down the middle.

The Hilltoppers walked off the game, run-rule style from a Cheyanne Sales double to left-center field to send Sharpe across the plate, who reached base after drawing a walk in the bottom of the fifth.

Redshirt-junior Kelsie Houchens earned her second start of the season, pitching 4.0 innings and facing four batters in the top of the fifth inning before Katie Gardner came in for relief. Houchens gave up only one earned run off of five hits, while striking out one at the plate and picking up her second win of the year.

GAME 2: SIU 2, WKU 0 [8inn.]

A quiet ballgame scoring across the plate, right-hander Katie Gardner picked up her 67th career start in the circle for the Tops, retiring the first seven batters at the plate in a row to a Saluki offense that had 31 hits over the weekend. Gardner held them to only one hit through a regulation seven innings.

Heading into extras, the Salukis plated two in the top of the eighth frame from a sac-fly into center field and RBI double.

Off the bats from the Tops, Brylee Hage cut down a potential Saluki no-hitter with a hit as the leadoff in the first inning, followed up by hits from Morgan Sharpe, Kelsey Schmidt, and a pair from TJ Webster.

TOP STORYLINES

After meeting for the first time in program history yesterday, the Tops now hold the all-time series lead at 2-0 against NIU. Southern Illinois holds the all-time record with WKU at 7-3.
Taylor Sanders collected her seventh home run of the season against NIU, leading the Tops in the category. Now her 38th career homer, the fifth-year is tied with the program record for career home runs.

TJ Webster went 6-for-11 at the plate through four games over the weekend, batting .545 and picking up an RBI.
Still atop of the Hilltopper’s stat sheet, Morgan Sharpe is currently batting .500 at the plate and leading Conference USA. Taylor Sanders holds 22 RBIs to lead CUSA.

As a whole, WKU is leading the league with a .324 batting average.
Both leaders of the WKU pitching staff, Katie Gardner boasts a 1.63 ERA, while Rylan Smith owns 42 strikeouts on the season.