WKU Softball redeemed itself after an underwhelming 2025 season-opening tournament and swept the five-game Cardinal Clash Feb. 14-16.
The Hilltoppers will return to the Hill from Troy, Alabama with a perfect 5-0 series record and a 6-4 record overall after defeating Southeast Missouri State, Eastern Illinois, Troy, and Alabama State.
The Hilltoppers combined for 34 runs, 44 hits and 33 RBIs across their five performances.
Day 1
On day one of the Cardinal Clash, WKU Softball brought home two victories against Southeast Missouri State and Eastern Illinois.
In game one, the Hilltoppers came out hot against SEMO and led 5-0 after the first inning. Runs were scored by redshirt junior outfielder Jenna Blanton, sophomore infielder Morgan Sharpe, freshman infielder Charlotte Herron, sophomore first baseman Annie White, freshman utility player Macy Gregor and sophomore outfielder Kendle White.
Kendle White scored again in the sixth. SEMO put one on the board in the seventh, but it was no match for the Hilltoppers’ lead.
WKU took home a 6-1 win to start the weekend.
After game two marked WKU’s second win of the tournament, the Hilltoppers seemed unstoppable. WKU’s dominant performance over Eastern Illinois ended the game early due to the NCAA run-ahead rule – the game ends early if a team is up by eight or more runs after five or more complete innings.
Like game one, the Hilltoppers took an early 5-0 lead after the second. Their effective offense included runs from Herron, Gregor, junior outfielder Kaytlan Kemp, Sharpe and Blanton. Their lead extended to 9-0 from more runs from Herron, Gregor, Kemp and Kendle White.
Freshman infielder Katie Murphy’s run in the fourth put the Hilltoppers up by 10. The game concluded in a 10-0 WKU dub after the Panthers failed to score in the top of the fifth.
The Hilltoppers’ combined stats after day one included 19 hits and 16 runs.
Day 2
The Hilltoppers extended their tournament record to 4-0 after two more wins against Eastern Illinois and Troy on Saturday.
WKU’s second matchup against Eastern Illinois started off tame with no scoring in the first five innings. In the top of the sixth, Kendle White put the first run on the board after an RBI single from Sharpe. Another RBI single from freshman outfielder Kennedy Stinson led to a run from junior outfielder Anniston Bray in the top of the seventh.
The game concluded in a 2-0 Hilltopper win.
WKU faced the series’ host Troy in game two of the day.
The second inning saw lots of action from both teams. Blanton and Sharpe’s RBIs allowed for runs from Herron and Stinson. Troy quickly responded with several runs of their own. The Hilltoppers trailed 4-2 going into the third.
Another eventful inning included two more Hilltopper runs from Kendle White and Blanton and one more Trojan run in the fourth.
After two scoreless innings, Kendle White’s game-winning two-RBI single allowed for runs from Kemp and Bray. The game ended in a 6-5 Hilltopper victory.
Day 3
With its undefeated tournament record on the line, WKU competed against Alabama State in the final game of the weekend.
The Hilltoppers dominated the first three innings. Runs from Herron (two), Stinson, Murphy, Blanton and senior catcher Randi Drinnon put WKU up 6-0 going into the fourth.
The Hornets put one on the board in the top of the fourth. The Hilltoppers quickly responded with three runs from sophomore infielder Maci Masters, Gregor, and Drinnon.
The teams scored one run each in the fifth. The final Hilltopper run from Blanton put WKU up 10-2 at the end of the fifth. Again due to the NCAA run-ahead rule, the game ended in WKU’s fifth and final win of its perfect weekend.
The Hilltoppers will look to carry this momentum with them into the Hilltopper Clash, the 2025 home-opening tournament Feb. 23-24.
WKU will face Gardner-Webb at 12:30 pm on Feb.23 at the WKU Softball Complex.
Sports Reporter Adrianna Lein can be reached at adrianna.lein265@topper.wku.edu.
