WKU Softball will travel to Eastern Kentucky University Tuesday for its final midweek matchup of the season.

The Hilltoppers are coming off a Conference USA series win over Florida International University last weekend. WKU took the first two games, the last resulting in a tie due to a travel curfew.

Last week, the Hilltoppers traveled to the University of Louisville for a midweek game, securing a 2-0 shutout victory. Against UL, freshman Erica Houge pitched her first full seven-inning performance. She allowed no runs on two hits, posting a 0.091 opposing batting average against the Cardinals.

Houge earned more playing time in the series against FIU. In her 10.2 innings pitched, she allowed three runs on nine hits, improving her ERA to 3.18, the lowest of the WKU pitching staff, and earning CUSA Pitcher of the Week.

Sophomore shortstop Morgan Sharpe was also awarded CUSA Player of the Week for the first time in her two-year career. She hit .455 over the FIU series and .750 at Louisville. She is hitting .305 on the season and leads WKU in hits with 47.

The Hilltoppers are 27-19-1 overall and fourth in the CUSA standings with a 12-10-1 conference record.

EKU is coming off an Atlantic Sun Conference series win over North Alabama. The Colonels are first in the ASUN Gold Division with a 35-13 overall record and a 16-4 conference record. 

The Colonels are hitting .287 this season, earning them the sixth-highest batting average in ASUN. The EKU pitching staff holds the third-lowest ERA in ASUN with a 2.97. 

As a freshman, EKU sophomore pitcher Maddi Rutan received multiple accolades, including ASUN Pitcher of the Year and ASUN Freshman of the Year. She was also named the fifth-best two-way player in the country by Division I Softball. This season, she leads ASUN in batting average with a .425 and RBIs with 55.

The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. 

Sports Reporter Adrianna Lein can be reached at [email protected]