GULF SHORES, Ala. - The No. 25-ranked Lindsey Wilson softball team opened the Gulf Shores Invitational on Friday with a pair of victories at Gulf Shores Five Plex.
The Blue Raiders began the day with a 10-2 victory over Abraham Baldwin (Ga.) before defeating No. 16 LSU Alexandria 2-1. With the wins, Lindsey Wilson improves to 14-2, having won eight straight. This marks the longest winning streak since 2022. The Blue Raiders have also set a program record for consecutive neutral game wins with 11 dating back to last season.
Kaiden Rodgers and
Summer Ray led the Lindsey Wilson offense over Abraham Baldwin going 3-for-4 each.
Nora Epley and
Atavya Fowler each recorded two hits. Six different Blue Raiders drove in a run.
Hallie Roberts earned the win, going 6-1/3 innings, allowing five runs with only three earned, eight hits, four walks, and two strikeouts.
Kayden Murray pitched 0.2 innings of relief, striking out both batters she faced.
Murray got the start against LSU Alexandria, going the distance allowing just one run on four hits, two walk, and striking out 11. With her 13 strikeouts today, she has now surpassed 400 in her career, becoming just the eighth player in program history to reach 400 career strikeouts.
Game One: No. 25 Lindsey Wilson 10, Abraham Baldwin 5
Back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the first by
Emerson McKinnis and Rodgers put runners on first and third. McKinnis got into a rundown situation and scored on the throwing error by the Fillies' third baseman. Hartman increased the Lindsey Wilson lead to 2-0 with an RBI single. Ray drove in the third run of the inning, giving the Blue Raiders a 3-0 advantage. The Fillies' first two batters reached in the bottom of the first, before Roberts retired the next three batters, ending the Abraham Baldwin threat.
Rodgers led off the third with a double to left field and then advanced to third on a throwing error by the Abraham Baldwin catcher. With two outs,
Hannah Carter drove in Rodgers, increasing the Lindsey Wilson lead to 4-0. The Blue Raiders added to their lead in the fourth, adding three runs. Three straight singles to begin the inning and an error by the Fillies' left fielder allowed a pair of runs to score. McKinnis drove in the third run of the inning, increasing the advantage to 7-0.
Abraham Baldwin took advantage of a two-out walk and an error in the bottom of the fifth. Following the error, the Phillies plated a pair on an Emma Humphrey double to right field, making it 7-2. The Blue Raiders pushed their lead to 10-2 with three runs in the top of the fifth. The Fillies added three in the bottom of the seventh. Murray entered with one out in the seventh and retired the final two batters via strikeout.
Game Two: No. 25 Lindsey Wilson 2, No. 16 LSU Alexandria 1
Following a leadoff walk to begin the game, Murray retired the next three batters with two strikeouts. Kilee Moody hit a one-out single and advanced to third in the top of the fourth. Murray ended the Generals' threat, striking out the next two batters.
Lindsey Wilson finally broke through on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth. McKinnis reached on a leadoff double and advanced to third on a Rodgers sacrifice bunt.
Natalie Wandrie gave the Blue Raiders a 1-0 lead, driving in McKinnis. Lindsey Wilson added a run in the top of the sixth on a passed ball. LSU Alexandria scored its lone run in the top of the sixth.
The Blue Raiders return to action for the second day of the Gulf Shores Invitational on Saturday, taking on Point (Ga.) at 9 a.m. CT and Breanu (Ga.) at 11:15 a.m. CT at the Gulf Shores Five Plex.
