WKU Softball falls to UGA in Opening Round of NCAA Tournament

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers’ softball team battled tough, but couldn’t overcome a potent UGA offense on Friday as they fell to the Bulldogs 11-3 in the Opening Round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

WKU struck first in the contest thanks to sophomore Kennedy Sullivan, who ripped a RBI double to give the Tops a 1-0 lead.

Georgia responded in the bottom of the frame as Lacey Fincher connected on a monster three-run blast to give the home team a 3-1 advantage.

From there, both teams settled in defensively and traded zeroes through the next two frames. WKU was finally able to get something going in the fourth, though, as Taylor Sanders clubbed a lead-off double and would come around to score on a Taylor Davis SAC fly to cut the deficit to one.

After a scoreless fourth from the Bulldogs, Western Kentucky was able to tie it up in the fifth on a Sanders’ RBI single that scored Sullivan.

The Bulldogs answered right back and once again it was thanks to the bat of Lacey Fincher. The 5-11 Junior homered for the second time on the day, and gave Georgia a lead they would not relinquish.

UGA would pour on six more runs as they defeat WKU, 11-3.

The Hilltoppers will face UNC-Greensboro in an elimination game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CST.