Western Kentucky went into last week’s Conference USA Tournament with one player on its roster – senior Kathryn Downing – who’d played a postseason game for the Hilltoppers.
Then WKU’s young squad went to Hattiesburg, Miss., and played four contests, three of which went to extra innings. It took 10 innings Friday for eventual champ Louisiana Tech to outlast the Toppers, 1-0.
In all, WKU players gained four games and 38 innings worth of postseason experience. Now they’ll gain some more thanks to playing in the inaugural National Invitational Softball Championship.
The Hilltoppers will begin play in the NISC at noon Tuesday, taking on Alabama State in Atlanta in a game that’s part of the Georgia State regional.