BARBOURVILLE, Ky. - With timely hitting and outstanding pitching, Blue Raider softball secured its best six-game start to a season in five years, downing Union Commonwealth (Ky.) in a non-conference doubleheader on Friday.

The Lindsey Wilson pitching staff was on a roll from the opening pitch as three dealers combined to allow 10 hits and strike out 22 Bulldog batters across 14 scoreless innings.

At the plate, Natalie Wandrie led four Blue Raiders with multiple hits with three of her own, followed by Aubrey Miller, Emerson McKinnis, and Sam Hartman, who each came up with two.

 
Game One: Lindsey Wilson 7, Union Commonwealth (Ky.) 0

After an empty first inning, Miller got aboard in the second with the help of a miscue in the outfield. Two batters later, Summer Ray popped a deep fly ball down the right field line and hustled around for three bases to score Miller. Atavya Fowler laid down a subsequent infield hit to push home Ray and give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

In the third inning, Emerson McKinnis led off and rocketed a 1-1 pitch over the center field fence for her third home run of the season. Then, just three pitches later, Wandrie matched McKinnis with a solo shot to the same side of the park, quickly doubling Lindsey Wilson's advantage.

Union Commonwealth stayed within striking distance despite the deficit. In the bottom of the sixth frame, the Bulldogs brought the tying-run to the on-deck circle, forcing a pitching change for the Blue Raiders to enter Grace Adams. With no outs and two runners on, the senior wasted no time settling in and ended the host's threat in three straight batters.

The Blue Raiders added some insurance to their lead in the top leg of the seventh inning, as Wandrie lined her second home run of the game to straight-away center field, plating two additional runs in the process.

Adams shut down the Bulldogs in order in the next half-inning, sealing a second save this year and a third win for Hallie Roberts.

Roberts, who improves to 3-0, struck out six over five innings pitched and surrendered four hits and one walk. Adams closed with two perfect frames and three strikeouts.

 
Game Two: Lindsey Wilson 4, Union Commonwealth (Ky.) 0

Kayden Murray fired her 10th career complete-game shutout, picking up a season-high 13 strikeouts along the way.

The junior's performance was part of a pitcher's dual between the Bulldogs' starter. The head-to-head bout carried into the fifth inning before Lindsey Wilson broke through.

McKinnis reached first on a two-out walk and was driven home off the bat of Wandrie, who's hard hit screamer to left field was mishandled by the home team's outfielder.

Then, in the sixth, Melaina Tucker notched her first hit of the season and tripled into right field to plate Miller.

The Blue Raiders effectively put the game away in the seventh inning behind an RBI-single by Kaiden Rodgers and a run-scoring double from Miller.

As a team, Lindsey Wilson put forth six of its 10 hits over the last two innings, providing Murray with enough cushion to go the distance.

 
The Blue Raiders make their 2026 home debut at 2 p.m. CT on Monday, February 23 against Northwestern Ohio.