The Lady Topper softball team dished out a three-game sweep of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles this past weekend. 

Two of WKU’s (25-7, 10-2) three wins on the weekend came in shutout fashion.  A doubleheader on Saturday afternoon clenched the series for the Lady Toppers with scores of 7-1 and 6-0.  

The final match on Sunday ended with a score of 8-0, giving the Lady Toppers their 10th C-USA win of teh season. Two other teams, Florida Atlantic and University of Alabama Birmingham have double-digit wins (10). 

With the sweep, WKU stays in first place of the league’s East Division.  

Freshman infielder Carleigh Chaumont had a big weekend for the Lady Toppers, hitting the first two home runs of her Lady Topper career over the course of the series. Chaumont notched five hits and three runs off of 10 at bats on the weekend.

“I was really proud of my whole pitching staff as well as Carleigh Chaumont,” Head Coach Amy Tudor said. “What a weekend. I’m real proud of that kid. You know, she got her shot, she took it and she hit the ball really well.”

Game One (7-1)

Senior Pitcher Miranda Kramer started for WKU and pitched all seven innings of the first game. Kramer notched 11 strikeouts and allowed only four hits and one run.

Junior infielder Morgan McKeever took the only run scored by the Golden Eagles all weekend when she stole home plate.

Senior Shelbee Rodgers earned the start for Southern Miss on the mound, holding an ERA of 6.09.  

Senior Larissa Franklin started off the scoring for the Lady Tops in the first inning. WKU brought in the runs quickly, ending the first inning with a score of 5-1.

In the sixth inning Dani Pugh’s RBI home run brought in the final two runs bringing the final score to 7-1.

Game Two (6-0) 

The game opened with WKU in the field and Lady Topper senior Janna Scheff at the mound. Scheff pitched until the fourth inning and allowed three hits and no runs.

The score held at 0-0 until the bottom of the third when Lady Topper utility player Jacqueline McGill made it home off an Eagle error. 

Hannah Parker stepped into the circle to pitch at the top of the fourth and immediately notched two strikeouts. Parker allowed no hits or runs the rest of the game.

Shawna Sadler stepped up to the plate at the bottom of the fourth and hit a line drive RBI triple, sending Chaumont home for a score of 2-0.

Pugh hit an RBI single in the fifth inning that sent Holloway home. 

With the bases loaded, Chaumont gave it her all and hit an RBI double to bring in three more runs, bringing the score to 6-0.

Game Three (8-0)

The Lady Toppers completed the sweep after just five innings. WKU notched 13 hits and Kramer (17-4) pitched another double-digit strikeout game with 10, her 19th of the season.

Kramer allowed two hits and one walk.

All but two Lady Toppers posted hits. Franklin, Hanson, and Holloway had two runs each. Hanson attributed two RBIs.

The score was 3-0 by the second inning with Franklin’s run in the first followed by Hanson’s and Holloway’s runs in the second.

Chaumont hit her second home run during the third inning, hitting the ball over the left field fence. 

Freshman Lexie Norfleet scored a run with two outs on the board thanks to Hanson.

The game was 8-0 by the end of the third and ended in the fifth inning.

WKU’s inaugural C-USA season is drawing to a close, with just three more conference series left to play against FIU, Charlotte, and Middle Tennessee. 

“We’re looking to come in and make better adjustments at the plate and continue to pitch really well in the circle,” Tudor said.