After putting together an 11-4 mark in the month of February, Western Kentucky’s softball team picked up split results on its first day of play in March, falling to Austin Peay 5-0 before responding with a 1-0 victory over Dayton on Friday in the opening day of the Holiday Inn Hilltopper Spring Fling at the WKU Softball Complex.

In the opener, WKU (12-5) stayed close until the third inning. After a pair of scoreless innings by both sides, Austin Peay broke through in the top of the third with three runs, including a two-run home run, to take a lead it would not relinquish. The Governors (4-9) added two more runs split between the sixth and seventh frames to get to the final 5-0 margin.

WKU left nine runners stranded in the loss.

Freshman Maddie Bowlds registered three of the Hilltoppers’ six hits in the contest with a 3-for-4 day at the plate.

Haylee Towers tossed the first 5-plus innings for WKU while allowing five hits and four earned runs against a trio of strikeouts. Kelsey Aikey pitched the last two innings for the Hilltoppers, allowing one hit and one run while striking out a pair.

In the Hilltoppers’ second game Friday, Dayton (4-9) looked to strike first after the Flyers leadoff batter reached base but WKU worked out of the jam with a double play off a line out.

Leading off for the Hilltoppers in the bottom of the third, Jordan Vorbrink beat out a single to shallow right field. WKU’s Jordan Thomas followed with a triple, bringing Vorbrink around for the contest’s decisive run.

Over the course of the next three innings, WKU stranded five Dayton runners on the basepaths before retiring the Flyers in order in the final inning.

Shelby Nunn pitched the complete-game shutout – her second of the season – to improve to 8-3 in her debut campaign. The Bowling Green native has now gone the distance in seven of her eight starts. Nunn registered three strikeouts while allowing just four hits and a walk against Dayton.

The Hilltoppers resume action in the tournament Saturday with a 12:30 p.m. game against Evansville, with a second game to be determined by seeding.