News Summary
Western Kentucky University (WKU) clinched the No. 2 seed in the Conference USA softball tournament with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Jacksonville State University. The match, held at the WKU Softball Complex, saw standout performances including crucial hits from Morgan Sharpe and Annie White that helped WKU overcome an early deficit. With this win, WKU concludes its regular season strong, finishing with a 29-19-1 overall record. The team will move forward to the CUSA tournament, aiming for success in the postseason.
Bowling Green, KY — Western Kentucky University (WKU) secured the No. 2 seed in the Conference USA (CUSA) softball tournament with a tight 4-3 victory over Jacksonville State University (JSU) on May 4, 2025. The match was held at the WKU Softball Complex, altered from its original schedule to sidestep adverse weather conditions.
With this win, WKU concludes its regular season with an overall record of 29-19-1 and a CUSA record of 14-10-1. Conversely, Jacksonville State finished its season with an overall record of 34-20 and a CUSA record of 15-11.
The game launched dramatically as JSU’s Emma Elrod opened with a leadoff home run, marking her 13th home run of the season and putting the Gamecocks in the lead early. Ashley Phillips followed suit, hitting another home run in the second inning, which widened JSU’s advantage to 2-0.
WKU bounced back in the third inning when Kendle White earned her 24th walk of the season. Morgan Sharpe then made an impactful play, hitting her first triple of the season that earned a run, reducing the deficit to 2-1. Annie White contributed to the scoreline by tying the game at 2-2 with a single that brought Sharpe home.
WKU gained momentum in the fifth inning, establishing a 4-2 lead thanks to important runs driven in by Kennedy Stinson and Maci Masters. However, JSU responded with their third home run in the sixth inning, narrowing WKU’s lead to just one run at 4-3.
WKU’s pitcher, Erica Houge, stepped in to replace Rylan Smith and effectively shut down JSU’s lineup in the seventh inning, retiring the side and clinching the win for WKU. This victory marked Houge’s 10th win of the season, showcasing an impressive streak where she has won seven out of her last eight appearances. The overall performance of WKU’s pitching staff was notably efficient, limiting Jacksonville State to a .166 batting average throughout two games in the series.
In recognition of their contributions, the team honored senior player Randi Drinnon prior to the game. With this victory, WKU not only finished strong but also secured a critical first-round bye in the upcoming CUSA tournament.
The CUSA tournament is set to commence on May 7, 2025. WKU will play its first game on May 8 at noon, where they will face the winner of the matchup between Jacksonville State and Sam Houston. All tournament games are scheduled for broadcast on ESPN+, with the championship game being featured on CBS Sports Network.
This win came after WKU completed a three-game series sweep over JSU, following a dominant 7-2 victory in the first game of the weekend series played on May 2, 2025. The consistency and competitiveness of the WKU softball team have positioned them well entering the tournament, showcasing their potential for success in the postseason.
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Additional Resources
- WKU Softball Ends Regular Season with Series Win
- Google Search: WKU Softball 2025
- WKU Softball Explodes for Six Runs vs. Jax State
- Wikipedia: Softball
- WKU Hosts Jax State for Regular Season Finale
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Softball
- WKU Softball Sweeps JSU
- Google News: WKU Softball
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