Lexington, Ky. - Kameron Bowling fanned 12 batters for one of the most dominant performances of her career, leading the No. 10 Transylvania softball team to a home-opening 1-0 win over the Illinois Wesleyan Titans on Saturday afternoon at Hall Field.
After playing their first 11 games of the season away from Lexington, the Pioneers ushered in the opening day of the 2021 Pio Classic with a memorable performance from the senior Bowling, who registered a season-high 12 strikeouts to lock down the Titans for all seven innings.
Transylvania improved to 10-2 on the season while the Titans fell to 2-2.
Opening up the first nine games of their 2020 season on the road before having the season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pioneers appeared at home for the first time on Saturday since April 30, 2019.
Bowling's dominance from the circle validated the seemingly interminable wait with her highest amount of strikeouts in a game since May 11, 2019 against Emory & Henry when she struck out a career-high 15 hitters over 12 innings in the NCAA Regionals.
With Bowling holding the Titans to just two hits over seven innings, the Pioneers found the necessary run in the bottom of the second inning to assume the lead for the rest of the day. Kadi Weaver delivered a one-out single into right field and moved to second on a wild pitch. Lexi Childers grounded out to move Weaver over to third, and Abby Frazier delivered a base hit to score Weaver for the lone run of the game.
Bowling retired the Titans side in the first, third, fourth, and fifth innings to hold the visitors in check.
The win was the fourth shutout by the Pioneers this season and the third shutout registered by Bowling in the 2021 campaign, as well as her third complete game in total.
Carson Murray went 2 for 2 from the plate with a walk while Weaver went 2 for 3 at bat to help the Pioneers generate eight hits to the Titans' two.
Transylvania returns to action tomorrow for back-to-back games in the middle of a four-game Pio Classic slate. The Pioneers are scheduled to face No. 22 Trine University at 12:00 p.m. followed by a contest against Wittenberg University at 2:00 p.m. from Hall Field.
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