Ridge Delivers Walk-Off Homer to Secure 2-0 Opening Day for WKU

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – WKU Softball picked up a pair of wins on Opening Day of the Aggie Classic from College Station, Texas. The Hilltoppers downed UT Arlington 3-1 to open the season before Jordan Ridge connected for a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh for a 6-5 WKU win over Texas A&M – Corpus Christi in game two. Head coach Amy Tudor moved to 17-1 in career season openers with the day’s opening victory.

“It was great to get two games with two wins on Opening Day,” opened Tudor. “I am proud of our efforts and composure. Ridge really stepped up with the huge homer in the seventh of game two after we went back even. These were a couple of great team wins today.”

Both Ridge and fellow senior Taylor Davis registered three hits across the day.

GAME 1 – WKU 3, UT ARLINGTON 1

After UT Arlington opened the day with a single and ultimately scored the runner with their second hit of the frame, Shelby Nunn and the Hilltopper defense would retire the next 18 batters in order. The Mavs struck for a single with two outs in the seventh to account for their third hit of the game.

WKU trailed 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth. Kasia Parks picked up her first collegiate hit with a single to lead off the inning. The Hilltoppers followed with three consecutive fielder’s choices while only recording one out to load the bases. From there, Taylor Davis singled back at the pitcher, allowing Randi Drinnon to score and tie the game at 1-1.

Taylor Sanders kept things moving with a two-RBI double over the centerfielder’s head to give WKU the 3-1 advantage.

Jordan Ridge accounted for the Hilltoppers first knock of the season in the bottom of the second, which came in the form of a double before she ended up stranded.

Shelby Nunn earned the complete-game win in the circle. The fifth-year senior allowed just three hits and no walks while striking out four.

GAME 2 – WKU 6, TEXAS A&M – CORPUS CHRISTI 5

Taylor Sanders became the Tops first base runner of the second game as she drew her third walk of the day in the first inning.

In the Tops’ next trip to the plate, Davis led off the frame with a single before Drinnon walked and TJ Webster followed with a single to load the bases. From there, a Bailey Curry double off the top of the wall plated two for a 2-0 WKU lead. Ridge followed with an RBI fielder’s choice that scored Webster for a 3-0 lead.

Texas A&M – Corpus Christi responded in the top of the third with a two-run home run to bring the score to 3-2.

The score would hold into the bottom of the fifth when Ridge got things going with a single and two batters later Brylee Hage sent a triple down the right field line to push the score to 4-2.

Katie Gardner worked the game’s first five innings, allowing just two hits and two earned runs while striking out four and walking three. In the top of the sixth, Savannah Fierke saw her first collegiate action for the Tops, facing just four batters in the frame.

Davis led off the bottom of the sixth with a single – her second knock of the day – and would score for a 5-2 lead as Webster picked up an RBI.

Texas A&M – Corpus Christi answered back in the top of the seventh, sending seven batters to the plate to ultimately tie the score at 5-5. The Islanders struck with three of their four hits coming on the first pitch of at bats.

Due up in the bottom of the seventh were the Hilltoppers’ 2, 3 and 4 hitters but all WKU needed was its first batter – Ridge. The senior worked a full count before sending a home run just inside of the leftfield foul pole for a walk-off knock.

Fierke would earn the win in the circle after working the final two innings.