Feb. 19, 2010
BOCA RATON, Fla. – In the opening game of the Kickoff Classic hosted by the Florida Atlantic Owls, UK earned a 1-0 victory over Maryland. Sophomore pitcher Rachel Riley earned her second victory of the season tossing a complete game shutout and three strikeouts. It also marks the first shutout of the season and third of her career. Junior Samantha DeMartine plated the winning score with a one-out single along the right field line to bring in senior Natalie Smith who went 3-for-3 at the plate.
After five scoreless innings in a defensive battle, the Wildcats finally scratched the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning. Smith led off with her third single of the game with a masterfully played lead off bunt to third base. Maryland opted to walk Brittany Cervantes to place two runners on base. Meagan Aull then charted a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners into scoring position setting the stage for DeMartine. The junior smacked a single into shallow right field that laced the line allowing Smith to round home for the only run UK would need for the victory.
Riley and the Blue and White escaped a number of jams to preserve the shutout. In the fourth inning Maryland opened with a single and then moved the runner to scoring position with a groundout to the pitcher. A one-out single allowed runners to go to the corners, but catcher Megan Yocke and Johnson hooked up to steal a base stealer for the second out leaving a base runner on third. Riley forced the next batter into a groundout to Cervantes at third to end the inning and leaving a runner stranded on third.
In the fifth inning, the Terps led off with a triple along the right field line to place a runner in prime scoring position. Riley calmly sat down the next three batters in order to prevent a run from crossing home plate. She forced a pair of groundouts and charted a strikeout in the run.
With two outs on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh, Maryland put two runners aboard after a fielding error by the Blue and White and a walk. Riley quickly ended the threat forcing the next batter into a groundout to Cervantes giving the Wildcats their fourth win of the season.
