Courtesy of WKU Athletics
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After scoring first in Sunday’s series finale at UAB, WKU Softball ultimately fell in a 9-7 decision as the Hilltoppers’ rally came up short. The Red and White would still win the series after taking the first two games of the weekend. In her first start since the Florida Atlantic series, Kennedy Foote delivered two doubles and four RBI for the Hilltoppers.
WKU moved to 27-8 on the season with the loss and is now 11-4 in Conference USA play. UAB moved to 21-15 overall and 9-3 in league action. After winning the last six meetings against the Blazers, UAB finally took a game off the Tops.
For the first time of the weekend series, WKU scored first and neither side tallied a run in the opening frame.
Jordan Ridge led the second inning off with a double before Bailey Curry drew a walk and Maddie Bowlds followed with a bunt single. From there, Kennedy Foote sent a double off the right field wall to plate two Hilltoppers for a 2-0 lead.
UAB struck for one run in the bottom of the second to pull within 2-1 before taking the lead in the bottom of the third at 3-2. The Blazers added four more runs in the fourth frame for a 7-2 advantage.
The Hilltoppers kept battling and would score in each of the final three frames to keep chipping away at the hosts’ lead.
In the top of the fifth, TJ Webster led off with a double to left field before moving to third on a base hit from Taylor Davis. Next up, Brylee Hage sent a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Webster and make the score 7-3.
WKU added another run in the top of the sixth after Jessica Bush connected for a two-out pinch-hit single to left field. Randi Drinnon followed with a double to right-center field that beat a slight UAB shift to roll all the way to the wall and make the score 7-4.
UAB took advantage of three free bases to lead off the bottom of the sixth and would plate two on a hit to push the margin to 9-4 before the Hilltoppers turned a double play to get back to the dugout.
In their final trip to the plate, the Hilltoppers sent all nine batters to the box in another comeback attempt. Hage connected for a one-out double before a Ridge hit put runners on the corners. A fielder’s choice and stolen base put Bowlds on second and Hage on third for Foote to bring home on her second double of the game. Following a pitching change, Bush drew a walk after staying in right field and Drinnon followed with another free base to load the bases before the Tops’ third out was recorded.
WKU would strand nine runners on the bases to UAB’s seven in the final game of the series.
All four Hilltopper pitchers took a turn in the circle – each pitching at least an inning. Katie Gardner took the loss after 2.2 innings in the start. Shelby Nunn (1 hit allowed), Kelsie Houchens (1 hit allowed) and Savannah Fierke (0 hits allowed) worked the final 3.1 frames while allowing just two hits but six free bases.
WKU registered 12 hits in the game – its most since tallying 16 in the series opener at Charlotte back on March 11. All nine slots of the batting order would tally at least one hit in the game. Davis, Ridge and Foote would all finish with multi-hit games.
Foote’s two hits matched her most hits in a single game while her four RBI doubled her previous career high.
The Hilltoppers are off next weekend with midweek matchups bookending the bye/Easter weekend.
