HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The 2019 Charger Chillout came to a close on Sunday with the Kentucky Wesleyan College softball team suffering a pair of losses to West Alabama and Shorter.
Game 1: West Alabama 3 – KWC 2
Neither team scored until the fourth inning when the Tigers took a 1-0 lead on a one-out RBI double. Wesleyan threatened in the bottom of the frame, loading the bases with one out but were unable to plate any runs.
West Alabama extended their lead in the top of the sixth, scoring on a single to left center.
The Panthers responded in the bottom of the inning, plating two runs off of two hits. Jaylin Tidwell led off with a double and eventually scored on a wild pitch. With one out and two runners in scoring position, Terrilynn Summers knocked a single to left field, knotting the game at two.
In the top of the seventh the Tigers had the bases loaded with two outs when a single up the middle drove in one run. From shallow center, Meredith Daunhauer gunned down the runner at home, holding the damage to just one run.
Wesleyan couldn't string together a rally in the bottom of the seventh with three straight ground outs to the shortstop ending the game.
Evyn Hendricks suffered her first loss of the season, throwing 6.2 innings while allowing three runs off of six hits. Maci Brown threw the final 0.1 innings, allowing one hit.
Game 2: Shorter 11 – KWC 5
An early lead slipped away from the Panthers in game two. Tidwell got things started in the bottom of the first, driving in Daunhauer with a double to left center. The Hawks answered back with four straight hits to plate two runs in the top of the second.
Shorter's lead was short lived as Dawson cleared the bases with a two-out three-run double to put the Panthers ahead 4-2 after two.
The Hawks scored one run in the third and two more in the fifth to take a 5-4 lead. With one out and runners on the corners, Jamie Tempel laid down a single in right field, scoring Kaitie Woodard and tying the game at five.
A six hit, five run inning blew open the game for the Hawks, giving them a 10-5 lead in the sixth. They plated their final run in the seventh as Wesleyan's offense stumbled in the final three innings, only tabbing one hit.
Tidwell was the lone Panther to tab a multi-hit game in game two, going two-for-four at the plate with one run driven in. Dawson led the Panthers with three RBI's while Daunhauer paved the way with two runs scored.
Autumn Grady pitched the first four innings, allowing four runs off of nine hits. Bailey Woodall took the loss after 1.0 inning of work with three hits and three runs. Brown threw the final 2.0 innings, giving up four runs off of six hits.
Wesleyan heads to Nashville, Tenn. next weekend for the Music City Invitational hosted by Trevecca Nazarene. The Panthers take on Truman State and UIndy on Saturday, followed by a rematch with Illinois Springfield and Missouri S&T on Sunday.
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