LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Milestone!  EKU head softball coach Jane Worthington records win No. 900 over her 32-year career as the Colonels downed Bellarmine by a score of 7-3 on Friday night at Knights Field.
 
With the victory, EKU (34-5, 15-1 ASUN) pushes its win streak to eight straight and remains three games ahead of North Florida in the Atlantic Sun Conference standings.  The Colonels have won 25 of their last 26 games dating back to Feb. 26.
 
Additionally, the first-place Colonels officially clinch their spot in the 2024 ASUN Softball Championship for the first time as a member of the league.  The tournament will take place from May 7-11 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala.
 
Worthington, the only head coach EKU softball has ever known, becomes the 48th coach in NCAA DI softball history to record 900 wins and currently sits 21st among active head coaches in total wins.
 
EKU was led by Louisville native Jeanay Riley, who ended Friday night going 3-for-4 from the plate with three runs scored and one RBI.  Fellow senior Vianna Barron also recorded a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
 
Freshman hurler Maddi Rutan (20-2) picked up her 20th win of the season tossing 6.0 innings with four strikeouts.
 
EKU opened its scoring efforts in the top of the first, as Barron brought Riley home off a hard ground ball up the middle. 
 
The Colonels added two more runs in the top of the third off singles from Barron and Riley, extending their lead to 3-0.
 
Three more EKU runs started the top of the fifth off hits from Barron and Rutan, Bellarmine responded with a run in the bottom of the frame, narrowing a 6-1 deficit.
 
The Knights scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh but failed to overcome their disadvantage to end the contest 7-3, EKU.  Rutan fanned two in the last two innings of play.
 
Next Up
The Colonels continue the series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. EST back at Knights Field.  Fans can find the contest streamed live on ESPN+.