COLUMBIA, Ky. (Softball) – No. 8 Lindsey Wilson's Lyndsey Parden struck out the first 13 batters she faced – and 15 of the 18 in the contest – en route to a six-inning perfect game, leading the Blue Raiders to an 8-0 victory to set up a four-game sweep of the Bears, culminating with a pair of 8-0 wins on Sunday afternoon at Lindsey Wilson Park.
Parden's quest for perfection began with four-straight innings of three-up-three down, three strikeout innings, as the Blue Raiders scored five runs in the second inning to take a commanding lead. After a leadoff strikeout in the fifth, Heidi Hall (SO/Greenwich, Ohio) finally put a ball in play, grounding out back to the circle. The LWC hurler added another K in the fifth for good measure, and struck out four of the final six batters.
Lindsey Wilson got on the board first in the second inning, as Travatia Bowden homered to lead off the inning versus SSU starter Hannah Thacker (FR/Dry Ridge, Ky.). With two away in the inning, Jenna Firestein added an infield single and Chelsea Showers reached on an error, scoring another run. Following a single from Andrea Whelan, Amanda Trampe hit a three-run blast to center field, making it 5-0 after two.
The score remained as such until the sixth – and would-be final inning – when Firestein opened the game with a single. Showers added a double to plate one run, and Trampe added an RBI single. A passed ball brought Whelan home to bring the game to a close in a six-inning run-rule, at 8-0.
Thacker took the loss in the contest, allowing eight runs despite just three earned scores. Thacker surrendered nine hits and two walks while striking out a pair.
In game two, SSU starter Allie Chapman (SR/Chesapeake, Ohio) and LWC hurler Jordan Hood went toe-to-toe for a scoreless opening three innings. The Blue Raiders did the first damage in the fourth, plating a run on Bailey Mize's solo shot. Hood aided her own cause with a homer in the fifth, sending the score to 2-0.
After a scoreless top of the sixth, the wheels fell off for Shawnee State, as Lindsey Wilson scored six runs to bring the game to a close. Whelan opened the frame with a home run, and Trampe and Mize each recorded hits to put runners on second and third.
A hit batsman loaded the bases before Sydney Fourman was hit, as well, plating the fourth run. Three batters later, with the score now 6-0, Showers singled to bring home two more runs and end the contest at 8-0 in run-rule fashion.
Hood earned the victory, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out six. Chapman took the loss in 5.2 innings of work, surrendering eight earned runs on five hits. The left-hander struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Shawnee State remains on the road, bringing a 10-game stretch away from home to a close versus Ohio Christian on Monday. The Bears return home for a two-game bout with Georgetown College on Tuesday. Game time versus OCU is set for 3 p.m.
