2021 MSC Softball Tournament Day Two Recap

Tournament Page | Updated Tournament Bracket

COLUMBIA, Ky. – Day two of the 2021 Mid-South Conference Softball Tournament has concluded with the first two games taking place in Campbellsville, Ky. and the final two contests being held in Columbia, Ky.

Campbellsville (Ky.) remains unbeaten in the tournament and continues in the top half of the bracket.

Game 1 – Georgetown vs. Martin Methodist | Box Score

In game one of the elimination bracket, fifth-seeded Georgetown (Ky.) defeated sixth-seeded Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 5-2 in eight innings at Hord Field in Campbellsville. The game opened up with a scoreless first inning before the Tigers broke free with a solo run in the bottom of the second.

Martin Methodist answered shortly after with two runs in the top of the third inning to take the 2-1 lead. The RedHawks’ scoring performance in the inning proved to be the only two runs of the game.

Four innings passed without a score which forced the game into extra innings. Georgetown battled in the eighth inning by holding off the RedHawks in the top of the inning. The Tigers walked off in the inning with a three-run homer to end the game 5-2.

Both Kaylyn Barnett and Madie Sims scored two runs in the game to lead the Tigers’ offense. Sims also notched a game-high three hits and four RBIs. Megan Brankamp (15-8) gathered the win, pitching all eight innings and recording one strikeout. The duo of Hannah Hayes and Jennifer Corbitt threw for the RedHawks. Corbitt (2-7) was credited for the loss, pitching for the final 3.2 innings while Hayes opened the first four.

The win advanced Georgetown in the bracket and knocked off Martin Methodist, ending the RedHawks’ season.

Game 2 – Bethel vs. Freed-Hardeman | Box Score

In game two of the elimination bracket, third-seeded Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) bested fourth-seeded Bethel (Tenn.) with late-game heroics to remain alive in the tournament at Hord Field. Three innings would come to pass without a score before Freed-Hardeman broke through with a solo score in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Wildcats answered with two runs of their own in the top of the fifth to take the two-run lead. Bethel held Freed-Hardeman scoreless for the following two innings before the Lions captured the win in walk-off fashion, scoring two runs in the seventh inning.

As a team, Freed-Hardeman notched nine hits while Bethel recorded eight. Three Lions gathered two hits apiece. Sophie Dunavant led the Lions with a solo hit and two of the team’s three RBIs. For the Wildcats, two players notched two hits each with Kayla Reed recording the two RBIs.

Morgan Crawford (16-4) was credited with the win. Crawford pitched for the final two innings to close the game after Chloe Winters threw for the first five. Winters notched four strikeouts while Crawford notched three. Maddie Cochran (11-7) pitched for 6.2 innings, gathering the loss. Cochran struck out four batters in the game.

With the win, Freed-Hardeman advanced to the final game of the day against Georgetown.

Game 3 – Campbellsville vs Lindsey Wilson | Box Score

In the third game of the day, play resumed at Sparks Park in Columbia as top-seeded Campbellsville faced second-seeded Lindsey Wilson in the top half of the bracket. The Tigers bested the Blue Raiders 7-4 in seven innings to advance in the winner’s bracket of the tournament.

After a brief first inning that resulted in scoreless efforts, the Blue Raiders opened the game with three runs in the second inning to take the 3-0 lead. Campbellsville answered with a solo shot home run to knock one off of the Blue Raiders’ lead. In the third, Lindsey Wilson was held back while the Tigers gained their first lead of the game, scoring three runs to lead 4-3.

In the top of the fourth, Lindsey Wilson tied the game with a lone run off a wild throw. After an empty fifth inning, the Tigers took their second and final lead of the game with three runs in the bottom of the sixth just before shutting the door on the Blue Raiders in the seventh.

Lindsey Wilson gathered 10 hits as a team while Campbellsville notched six. The duo of Lexi Miller and Ryleigh Oldham led the Tigers with two runs each while Miller recorded a game-high three RBIs on three hits.

Katy Chadwell (19-4) picked up the win throwing a complete game for Campbellsville. Annabelle Ramirez (25-5) was in the circle for the Blue Raiders, pitching all six innings and gathering seven strikeouts in the process.

Game 4 – Freed-Hardeman vs Georgetown | Box Score

In the final game of the day at Sparks Park, Georgetown upset Freed-Hardeman 3-1 in a game that was a defensive battle for the first three innings. Georgetown managed to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning.

The Tigers held back the Lions for two scoreless innings before tacking on two additional runs in the sixth, moving their lead to 3-0. The Lions’ comeback attempt late in the seventh inning was not enough as the Tigers managed to see the game through. Freed-Hardeman was able to gain one run back in the seventh but fell short in the come-from-behind efforts.

Georgetown recorded four hits as a team while Freed-Hardeman recorded six. All four hits came from four individual Georgetown players. Laiken Page led the Lions with two hits and an RBI.

Sarah Claxon (9-9) was in the circle for Georgetown, pitching a complete game and recorded a solo strikeout. Freed-Hardeman began the game with Brittany Adair (17-5) pitching the first five innings, recording the loss. Adair notched a game-high eight strikeouts while the duo of Morgan Crawford and Chloe Winters finished the game out. Winters notched two strikeouts for the Lions in the closing 1.1 innings pitched.

Saturday’s Slate of Games

Both of Saturday’s game times were pushed forward due to weather forecasted to roll into the Columbia area in the late afternoon. Two games are on tap for Saturday with the first beginning at 1 p.m. CT between second-seeded Lindsey Wilson and fifth-seeded Georgetown. Top-seeded Campbellsville will face the winner of the 1 p.m. CT game.