By JAMES BROWN
WCLU Sports
Katie Murphy helped WKU softball improve to 18-3 with a trio of conference wins over Missouri State over the weekend.
The former Barren County Trojanette hit her first home run of the season for three runs in Game 2 on Friday. The Hilltoppers won that game, 8-0. They also won 4-3 and 6-1.
The Hilltoppers have their best start in program history, and a 3-0 record in Conference USA play.
Game One: WKU 4, MSU 3
Erica Houge earned her ninth start and win of the season. The Bears’ only run production of the game came from three solo home runs.
Houge held the Bears scoreless for the remainder of the game after allowing only one more hit outside of the Bears’ home runs in the first and sixth innings. In addition, she fanned a total of six and had four 1-2-3 innings.
WKU posted its second walk-off win in three games as the offense started to take advantage of seeing the Bears’ Emily Karanda for the third time in the seventh.
Game Two: WKU 8, MSU 0
Seven of WKU’s eight runs in the second game came from home runs as WKU posted its fourth game this season with three or more home runs.
Murphy hit her three-run homer, Kendle White hit a two-run home run, and Annie White hit a two-run home run for the sixth and seventh runs of the inning.
The eighth run came from an RBI single from Anna Mauck in the bottom of the fourth, scoring Kennedy Stinson, who reached earlier in the inning with a double.
Rylan Smith earned her fourth start of the season and her third win after throwing a five-inning complete game. She allowed only two hits and struck out a season-high eight on the day.
Game Three: WKU 6, MSU 1
Earning her eighth start of the year, Maddy Wood opened the game retiring the first three batters of the Bears line up.
Jenna Blanton tripled to left center to put a Hilltopper in scoring position and was quickly brought in to score thanks to an RBI single from Annie White.
The Bears were held scoreless through four innings until an RBI single in the top of the fifth gave them their only run of the game.
In the home half of the same inning, Morgan Sharpe and Kendle White set up the Tops on the base paths thanks to a walk and a fielder’s choice. WKU capitalized on their runners on the base paths with three more runs thanks to back-to-back singles from Blanton who scored Sharpe and Annie White who scored Blanton and Kendle White.
Rylan Smith threw the last 1.2 innings of the game and finished the top of the seventh with two ground outs and a strike out.
The Hilltoppers have their first midweek match up of the season on Tuesday, March 10 against Eastern Kentucky. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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