GAINESVILLE, Fla. ? The University of Kentucky softball team suffered an 8-0 loss to the third ranked to the Florida Gators Sunday. Freshman Meagan Aull tallied the lone hit of the afternoon for the Wildcats, and was the only UK batter to hit safely in all three games this weekend.
After both teams were retired in the first inning, Kentucky got a base-runner with lead-off batter sophomore Molly Johnson in the top of the second. Johnson took a pitch in the foot and was awarded first base, but Aull hit into a fielder?s choice and Johnson was thrown out at second. Sophomore Destinee Mordecai drew a walk placing runners on first and second for the Blue and White with two outs. The inning ended when freshman Sam DeMartine popped up to the shortstop, preventing UK to capitalize on having runners in the base paths.
The Gators loaded the bases in the bottom half of the second, but the Wildcats were able to escape unscathed getting two groundouts to end the inning keeping the score knotted at zero.
Florida would get on the board in the home-half of the third inning. The Gators scored three runs off of four hits, including a two-run double, and benefited from a Kentucky throwing error to take the 3-0 lead.
Aull got her third hit of the series with a single up the middle in the top of the fourth. Kentucky was once again unable to push a run across the plate suffering three groundouts in the inning. Aull has now hit safely in 11 of her last 15 outings, including hitting streaks of five and four games during that span. She has also registered a hit in every SEC series this season.
The home squad Gators claimed the series sweep with a five-run fifth inning. Florida earned five runs on just three hits, and a costly UK error kept the inning alive. Ali Gardiner?s triple plated three scores to win the game for the home team.
Kentucky is next in action Wednesday night at the UK Softball Complex when they will play their final non-conference game of the season. Kentucky hosts Eastern Kentucky for a 5 p.m. tilt. Live stats and complete coverage of the game can be found by visiting www.ukathletics.com.
