DANVILLE, Ky. – Softball was top by third-seeded Campbellsville in the opening round of the Mid-South Conference Tournament. With the loss, the Tigers (40-15) improved to 4-0 all-time in the MSC Tournament against Shawnee State. The Bears (25-23) are now 0-4 all-time in MSC Opening Round games after today's 7-2 defeat.
Shawnee State got off to a quick start in game one as Kelsey Jenkins (JR/Wheelersburg, Ohio) singled on the second pitch of the game and was promptly bunted into scoring position by Holly Brabson (SR/Piketon, Ohio). Abbey Barrett (SR/Franklin Furnace, Ohio) then blasted a two-run home run over the centerfield fence. Her 10th home run of the season gave the Bears a 2-0 lead after a half inning of play.
However, Campbellsville would answer right back in the bottom half of the inning with three unearned runs thanks in part to a pair of SSU errors. Shawnee State starter Allie Chapman (JR/Chesapeake, Ohio) got the first batter of the game to pop out on the infield. From there, two SSU errors around a Campbellsville single would load the bases for Adrean Jordan. When the Bears should have been out of the inning, Jordan doubled home three runs to give her team a 3-2 lead.
After a quick start to the game, Campbellsville pitching will rule the rest of the game as Hannah Foster (SO/Portsmouth, Ohio) picked up a single in the second inning before the Tigers retired the final 18 Shawnee State hitters to end the game.
Campbellsville starter Taylor Wroe picked up the win as she went four innings and allowed the lone SSU offense on the day before retiring her final nine batters before being lifted. Victoria Decker pitched the final inning as she retired all nine SSU hitters that she faced.
Campbellsville added four insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Alyssa Barker hit a two-run home run in the inning, while Reagan Kingrey and Shelby Ray also added RBI hits in the inning.
Chapman took the loss as she went six innings in her complete game effort. She allowed nine hits and seven runs (four earned). She struck out two and walked one.
Softball will look to keep its postseason alive Friday afternoon against seventh-seeded St. Catharine. The Patriots fell to Georgetown by a 7-3 final. The Bears and Patriots elimination game will get underway at 12:30 p.m.
With a win in that game, Shawnee State would advance to face the loser of top-seeded Lindsey Wilson and No. 4 Cumberland immediately following its first game on Friday.
The Blue Raiders were 4-3 winners over the University of the Cumberlands, while Cumberland topped Rio Grande by a 6-4 score in the opening round of the tournament.
