Earlier this week coach Amy Tudor said that this would be the hardest week of the season for her WKU Lady Topper softball team. The team was set to play five games, four of them against top 25 teams, including a three game Sun Belt Conference series against South Alabama, ranked No. 19 in the latest NCAA RPI poll.

They started off the week with a loss to No. 8 Kentucky (39-9). The two teams combined for 25 hits in the contest.

Wednesday night WKU had to do battle with the Lipscomb Lady Bison (35-11), a team that is receiving votes for the top 25. Due to press constraints, results from that game can be found online at wkuherald.com. 

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For senior infielder Amanda Thomas, hitting and defense is key.

“If we out-hit them and play our game on defense we will be fine,” Thomas said. “We can obviously do that since we got 16 hits on the (No. 8 Kentucky) team in the nation.”

WKU (31-16-1, 10-5 Sun Belt Conference) will round out the week with a three game series against the Jaguars of South Alabama, who is currently ranked 19th in the nation, sitting at 32-8 overall and 11-5 in the Sun Belt Conference.

WKU and South Alabama will start the weekend with a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1:00 p.m. for Senior Day followed up by a Sunday game at noon. 

With only six conference games left in the regular season, the series is a big one for both teams.

The Lady Toppers are right behind South Alabama in the conference standings right now as the two teams come in at second and third behind Louisiana-Lafayette.

Tudor said pitching is going to be a big factor this weekend.

“South Alabama is a top 25 team and they have two dominant pitchers,” Tudor said. “We have to hit our pitch and we have to pitch well. Pitching is the name of the game and that’s where we have to get better. Defensively we can’t make those mental mistakes and let teams take those extra bags.”