Lady Tops Head to Elimination Bracket in Day 2

Mike Clark/HERALD

The Lady Toppers softball squad played in their only day two game of the Sun Belt’s softball tournament, and squared off against top seeded, and regular season Sun Belt champion, Louisiana Lafayette, and nearly stole a victory in the Cajuns hometown to move on in the winners bracket. It seemed almost too good to be true, and ultimately, that’s because it was.

The Lady Tops scored the first three runs of the ballgame, plating two in the opening half inning, after Preslie Cruce came home when Shawna Sadler singled into left field, and Sadler herself would come into score following a Brooke Holloway groundout to make it a 2-0 lead after the first three outs.

Olivia Watkins would put WKU back on the board in the top of the third after she reached on an infield single, and made it all the way to third base, and came home on an errant pickoff attempt from Cajun catcher Lexie Elkins. Watkins went 2-for-2 with a sacrifce and two stolen bases to go along with her run scored.

However, the buck would stop there for the Lady Toppers as ULL would get a run in the bottom half of the 3rd, after the same Elkins would single home Natalie Fernandez.

It would remain a 3-1 game until the bottom of the seventh inning, with Emily Rousseau in the circle and Shellie Landry in the batters box with the bases loaded before the game would end – as Landry turned a pitch around and sent it over the fence for a walk off grand slam to advance ULL to play second seeded South Alabama.

The Lady Toppers are still alive, but another loss will send them packing.

Day three will see a #1 vs. #2 matchup after South Alabama blasting the Cinderella of this year’s tournament so far, ULM 8-1.

The Tops are, actually, in action RIGHT NOW against the Lady Warhawks, and SunBeltSports.org has live stats and a live feed.

The winner of WKU/ULM will face either ULL again or South Al, while the winner between the Cajuns and Jags have a bye until Sunday’s championship.