Photo - Katie Stratman, WKU Athletics
Sophomore pitcher Kelsey Aikey spun a one-hit gem for WKU Softball as the Hilltoppers closed weekend play with a 1-0 walk-off victory over Dayton on Sunday. The Red and White closed Hilltopper Spring Fling play with a 3-2 record while moving to 14-6 overall with the team’s fourth walk-off win of the season.
“We had some people step up with big hits at the bottom of our lineup today and when the bottom of the order can deliver it’s going to be a pretty good day,” head coach Amy Tudor shared.
In a scoreless pitcher’s duel entering the bottom of the seventh, both teams had only tallied one hit in the game. With one away, freshman Kendall Smith stepped into the box and sent the second pitch she saw down the leftfield line for a double. WKU’s next batter, Rebekah Engelhardt, advanced Smith to third with a shot that the Flyers’ third baseman mishandled to put runners on the corners. Morgan McElroy – the owner of WKU’s lone hit prior to the final frame – stepped into the box and connected with the first pitch she saw for the game-winning base hit to shallow right field that allowed Smith to score.
“Morgan didn’t play yesterday, she was in the dugout out with the flu but she was watching, paying attention to details,” Tudor continued. “She’s a smart player and that really worked out to her advantage today. That was a big moment for her; two huge hits by Morgan with one being the game winner. That’s how you want every kid to respond after sitting out a couple games and I’m really proud of her.”
Aikey carried her no-hit bid into the fifth inning before a Dayton batter managed to beat out an infield single. The sophomore hurler punched out five Dayton batters while allowing just a pair of walks. Aikey’s showing was her second complete-game shutout of the year with her other being an extra-inning no-hitter against Sacred Heart.
“Kelsey continues to make strides to get more innings for us,” Tudor stated. “I think she has that ‘wow factor’ and people enjoy watching that. Aikey knows when she misses and I think becoming a smarter pitcher is what’s been helping her. She likes throwing hard, but her off-speed was working for her today and that’s something we’ve been focusing on for the last year now. Aikey did a great job in the circle and her composure is probably what I’m most proud of today.”
A Cedar Falls, Iowa, native, Aikey has now racked up a 4-1 record to go along with two saves on the year. She needed just 98 pitches to take her fourth start of the year the distance.
“When I start, I’m just thinking about getting three outs and getting us back on offense,” Kelsey Aikey shared. “Most of my innings come in relief but I was definitely excited to get the start today and I couldn’t have done this without the defense behind me.”
(Courtesy WKU Athletics)
