Over the weekend the WKU Lady Topper Softball team traveled to Texas State and took the three game series against the Bobcats 2-1.

WKU (31-15-1, 10-5 Sun Belt Conference) opened with two wins in Friday’s doubleheader before falling victim to the run rule in Saturday’s contest 11-2 in only five innings of play.

Coach Amy Tudor said she couldn’t pinpoint the differences other than the team really struggled on the mound in Saturday’s matchup.

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“It just wasn’t our day pitching,” she said. “Sometimes we let our defense bleed into our offense, and vice versa, which you try to separate, but it does happen. I felt that we overall played a good game Friday but Saturday we were just a little shell-shocked.

The road doesn’t get any easier this week as the team prepares for two midweek games against strong non-Conference opponents and then a three game Sun Belt series with No. 17 South Alabama (34-9, 11-5 SBC), all of which are at home.

“I think we are going to be tested this week,” Tudor said. “I think this is going to be our hardest week of the entire season.”

First up for WKU is the No. 16 Kentucky Wildcats (38-9, 12-6 Southeastern Conference) today at 6 p.m.

The Wildcats have won nine of their last 10 games.

Tomorrow the Lady Toppers face Lipscomb (35-11, 15-8 Atlantic Sun) who is currently ranked 30th in the nation, at 5 p.m.

“UK has great pitching,” Tudor said. “Great hitting, overall really good athletes, as does Lipscomb. They’re going to present challenges and we have to play our A-game. I’m not saying we can’t compete with them but we have to put it all together. When we do, we’re pretty good.”

The Lady Toppers are 2-0 this season against opponents from the SEC having beating Ole Miss and Tennessee, who was ranked second at the time, earlier this season.

With only a couple weeks left in the season, Tudor said it is a big weekend for her team.

“I think the importance is that we play well and we play together,” she said. “Just gradually continue to get better. Wins and losses are one thing, but how we’re playing the game is very, very vital.”