STANFORD, Calif. - The WKU softball team (6-3) slammed Sacramento State in the first game of the Stanford Nike Invitational 10-2 in five innings before falling to Stanford 10-3 shortly after. Against Sacramento State, the Lady Toppers collected 13 hits and scored 10 runs and 10 RBI in just 23 at bats, while holding Sacramento State to just two runs off five hits.
After retiring Sacramento State in order, junior Jamie Hennis started things off the right way for the Lady Toppers hitting a double to left field. After a sacrifice bunt by junior Brooke Reed, Hennis advanced to third and scored three batters later after senior Terri Ellingsworth hit her third double of the season. Antone, who had walked earlier in the inning also scored off Ellingsworth’s double and WKU ended the first inning with a 2-0 advantage.
WKU attacked again in the bottom of the second inning scoring one run off two hits. Hennis, who recorded her second hit of the day, scored her second run of the game after Reed doubled to left center field. The score stayed 3-0 WKU until Sacramento State finally got on the board in the third inning posting two runs off a two-run homerun.
But, WKU exploded in the fifth inning by adding seven more runs off four Lady Topper homeruns . Antone kicked things off for the Lady Toppers hitting her second homerun of the season to give WKU a 4-0 lead. Then, after a Rebecca Horesky single, Ellingsworth continued her big game hitting a homerun of her own, her first of the season, to extend WKU’s lead to six. WKU wouldn’t stop there though and after sophomore Sara Williams recorded a double and junior Rachelle Boucher walked, junior Kelsey McCauley added another homerun to the total, hitting her second homerun of the season. With WKU ahed 9-2, junior Ashley Contreras ended the game for WKU and secured the victory by hitting yet another homerun for the Lady Toppers, her first of the season.
Four Lady Toppers recorded two hits or more in the game while nine Lady Toppers posted at least one hit. Senior pitcher, Ryan Rogge (4-1), also dominated at the plate pitching five innings and giving up only five hits and two runs while striking out two.
In game two, Stanford got off to an early lead over the Lady Toppers scoring six runs in just two innings of play. In the first inning, Stanford collected two runs off three hits and followed up that performance in the second inning by adding another four runs off three hits.
WKU didn’t get on the board until the fifth inning when the Lady Toppers collected three runs off three hits and two Stanford errors. Horesky started things off for the Lady Toppers reaching first base after a Stanford error. With sophomore Elizabeth Ferrell pinch running at first, she advanced to second after a Ellingsworth single and scored one batter later after senior Sam Cronk singled to center field. Following the run, Ellingsworth gave WKU another run scoring off a Shannon Smith single. Cronk then made it 6-3 after scoring due to another Stanford error in the inning.
Following WKU’s big inning, Stanford scored four more runs in the fifth inning and the Lady Toppers were unable to come back falling to the Cardinal in seven innings.
In the game, WKU was held to just three runs and four hits in 27 at bats. Pitcher Jennifer Kempf (2-2) pitched all seven innings giving up 11 hits and ten runs.
WKU continues play tomorrow in the Stanford Nike Invitational with a meeting against Notre Dame at 11 a.m. and concludes competition in a rematch against Stanford at 1:15 p.m. Live stats and tournament information will be available at www.wkusports.com.
