WKU softball’s season ends with extra-inning loss to Louisiana Tech

Published 11:55 pm Friday, May 9, 2025

By Micheal Compton

The Western Kentucky softball team saw its season come to an end with a 6-4, eight-inning loss to Louisiana Tech in the Conference USA Tournament on Friday at the WKU Softball Complex.

WKU (30-21-1) rallied late to tie and had a chance to walk it off in the seventh before Louisiana Tech regained control and made a spectacular defensive play to close it out.

“I thought we fought a good game,” WKU coach Amy Tudor said. “It could have gone either way. The kids never gave up. It’s never fun to end your season, but I am really proud of where we got with this team. Having eight underclassmen start throughout the year, but the future is bright.”

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Louisiana Tech took a 1-0 lead on an Addison Snyder RBI single in the third, but WKU was able to answer in the bottom of the inning with three straight hits from the top of the order. Annie White singled home the tying run, with a sacrifice fly from Kennedy Stinson giving WKU a brief 2-1 advantage.

Louisiana Tech quickly regained the advantage in the fourth. The first three batters reached, setting up a one-out, two-run single from Claire Raley that made the score 3-2.

Louisiana Tech extended the lead to 4-2 on an RBI single from Reagan Marchant in the sixth, before the Hilltoppers rallied in the bottom of the inning.

Stinson and Maci Masters opened the inning with walks and moved to second and third on a sacrifice by Charlotte Herron. Randi Drinnon’s RBI single to left cut the deficit to one, with the tying run scoring on a wild pitch.

WKU threatened to walk it off in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out rally started by a double from White. The Hilltoppers would load the bases, with Herron hitting a hard line drive up the middle that was snagged by Louisiana Tech pitcher Allie Floyd to send the game to extra innings.

“They hit a line drive right to the pitcher,” Tudor said. “It’s unfortunate, but she made a great play on the ball.”

Louisiana Tech regained the lead with two runs in the top of the eighth. WKU tried to rally in the bottom of the inning getting two runners with two outs. Morgan Sharpe hit a screaming liner down the right-field line that would have likely allowed both runners to score, but Louisiana Tech right fielder Alannah Rogers made a diving catch to rob Sharpe of the hit and effectively end WKU’s season.

WKU was 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position — stranding 10 runners. In three tournament games, the Hilltoppers were 3-for-27 with runners in scoring position.

“It’s something we will work on moving forward,” Tudor said. “We will have some more sticks in the lineup next year, so that will be helpful. It just didn’t fall our way today.”

White and Drinnon had two hits each to pace the offense.

WKU’s season comes to an end with the Hilltoppers winning at least 30 games for a fifth straight year. WKU got off to a slow start in conference play, but was able to finish 7-0-1 over the final three weekends to earn the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.

“It’s a learning lesson,” Tudor said. “I think they did a good job of fighting back when our backs were against the wall. Hopefully we showed some fight and played some good ball. Today just wasn’t our day.”

WKU only loses one senior, Drinnon, who Tudor praised for her contributions to the program the last four years.

“I am really proud of Randi Drinnon,” Tudor said. “She’s been here four years. She was a really great catcher for us from freshman year to senior year. I relied on her a lot for feedback to the pitchers. She worked really hard. I think that is something I will take from this season, because it was probably hard to be the only senior on the squad.”

LT 001 201 02 — 6 14 1

WKU 002 002 00 — 4 9 3

WP: Floyd LP: Wood

About Micheal Compton

I am a sports reporter and movie critic for the Bowling Green Daily News.

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