RICHMOND, Ky. – EKU softball (12-8) falls in a 13-inning thriller to Western Kentucky (14-7) by a score of 3-2, its first in-state midweek test of the season, on Wednesday night at Gertrude Hood Field.
Pitching was the highlight in Wednesday's contest, EKU's
Brooke Davis, a freshman from Oakdale, Calif. earned the starting nod, tossing 4.0 innings with three strikeouts and one run allowed. Sophomore
Lauren Narvaez came in relief, throwing 9.0 innings, 152 pitches, and three strikeouts.
On the other side of the diamond, WKU's Katie Gardner threw 138 pitches in 9.0 innings of work, striking out 10 Colonel batters in the contest. Maddy Wood would enter in extras to earn the win.
Sophomore
Maggie Pertee led EKU going 3-of-5 from the plate, two of her hits were EKU's only hits through the first four innings.
Western Kentucky opened the game with a 1-0 advantage over EKU, loading the bases against Davis. She would work herself out of the jam to keep the Hilltopers at bay with only one tally.
The pitching duel would continue for the next three innings until Pertee opened the door with a triple down the left field line, however, EKU couldn't get the run across.
EKU tied the game in the bottom of the sixth when
Lou Bowers hit a single through the left side, advancing freshman
Jaelin Haynes, who EKU head coach
Jane Worthington waved by to even the game at one.
Pitching and highlight defensive plays from both sides pushed extra innings, neither team finding their stride offensively to the end of the ninth inning.
WKU reclaimed the lead 2-1 in the top of the 10th with a sac fly from Jessica Bush, bringing in Taylor Davis, who went 2-of-7 from the plate.
The Colonels would respond in the bottom half of the innings as
Jasmine Miller hit a solo homer over the right field fence to knot the game at two, her only hit of Wednesday's game.
Despite the added pressure from both sides, both teams remained scoreless for the next two innings, WKU's Kennedy Foote made two double plays in this span to keep EKU from winning the game.
WKU advanced one runner home with bases loaded in the top of the 13th and held EKU to no runs in a 1-2-3 bottom half of the inning to end the game 3-2.
Western Kentucky led EKU 13-7 in hits, despite getting three runs across, WKU left 18 runners on base to EKU's five.
EKU return to action on Saturday and Sunday hosting its first weekend series of the season against Valpo, who the Colonels bested 9-2 in Chicago earlier in the season. Tickets to see EKU in action this weekend can be found on EKUsports.com, starting as low as $5.
