Lady Toppers in battle for Sun Belt positioning
April 19, 2011
The Lady Toppers have a race to the finish following a series loss to Florida International this weekend.
WKU (23-22, 4-11 Sun Belt Conference) split the first day of action Saturday, losing to FIU, 7-1, in the first game and winning the second game, 5-4.
But the Lady Toppers came up short of a winning weekend on Sunday and fell to FIU, 13-2, in the final game of the three-game series.
Head Coach Tyra Perry said she was disappointed with grabbing just one win from the weekend, but the win still provides significance in the teamโs quest for the postseason.
โWeโve got to get as many wins as possible,โ she said. โOne win may not have been our goal, but in the end, that one win could be what puts us in front.โ
WKU currently resides in ninth place in the Sun Belt. The Lady Toppers are 1 and 1/2 games behind North Texas and Middle Tennessee after the weekendโs losses, although theyโve played three less games than each team.
The ninth-place team from the Sun Beltโs regular season play is excluded from the Sun Belt tournament. WKU was the team left out in 2010.
Freshman shortstop Amanda Thomas said she definitely feels like the team is under pressure.
โI feel like thereโs been pressure there the whole season, but weโve been telling ourselves not to let that pressure effect how we play,โ she said. โWe canโt let it make us scared or timid. We have to be fearless every single game.โ
Sophomore Karavin Dew played a key role in WKUโs crucial win Saturday by hitting a game-winning home run for WKU in the seventh inning.
She said she made an effort to step up where the team has struggled in crucial points all season.
โI was just trying to leave it all on the field and give everything I had for the team,โ Dew said. โIf it works out, itโs great. If not, then at least I gave it my best.โ
Dew also said she hoped the team took notice as they enter a crucial point in the season.
โIf they see that Iโm giving everything I have, then hopefully thatโll make them want to leave everything they have out there too,โ she said.
The Lady Toppers have nine conference games left over the next three weeks to move out of that ninth-place spot.
Perry said the team should be feeling the pressure after not playing to its full potential.
โWeโve done this to ourselves,โ she said. โWe have to play with heart in every out and every inning.โ
Dew said she remembers last yearโs Lady Topper ninth-place finish all too well, and sheโd like to avoid a repeat this season.
โWe definitely know we need to step it up if weโre going to make it,โ she said. โWeโd like the freshmen to not have to experience that at all.โ