KNOXVILLE, Tenn.. ? After ending a seven-game Tennessee winning streak a day earlier, the University of Kentucky softball team dropped both games of a Sunday doubleheader at Lee Stadium. Tennessee earned 5-1 and 2-0 victories to take the series conference opening series.
Kentucky (12-10, 1-2), winners of 10 of its last 13 games gave a valiant effort in both losses to the sixth-ranked Volunteers (25-4, 3-3) Sunday.
Senior Audrey Meyer led the Wildcat bats with five hits for the afternoon, while sophomore Molly Johnson extended her career-long hitting streak to nine games. Johnson paced the UK bats for the weekend, as her extra inning home run propel UK to a 2-0 win to open the series.
Kentucky gave their best effort to tie the ball game in the top of the seventh and force extra innings. Meyer got her third hit of the game to open the inning. Freshman Sam DeMartine, with a full pitch count, sent a bomb towards the left field wall, but the hit was foul. DeMartine fouled out on her next pitch, giving UT the win.
Two Wildcat errors proved costly in the nightcap loss to the Volunteers. Tennessee opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning. Kentucky hurler Amber Matousek tossed a strikeout and got a groundout to open the inning. Tennessee reached base on a walk with the next batter, and then an untimely Wildcat error advanced the runner and got the fourth batter on base. Tennessee plated the run with a single up the middle. Kentucky got out of the inning as sophomore Natalie Smith made a spectacular catch and pitch to end the inning.
The home team added to their lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth, as another UK miscue resulted in the score. The Lady Vols opened with a walk and then the base runner quickly stole second. On the very next pitch, she took third and a throwing error to the third base bag went into left field allowing UT to score. Matousek retired the next three batters ending any additional scoring.
Despite taking the loss, Matousek threw 14 innings in two games against the Volunteers and did not yield a single earned run. The right-hander gave up just eight hits while striking out four batters in an impressive weekend.
UK once again put runners on base to start the game for the third consecutive outing. Senior Audrey Meyer reached base at the number two slot with a walk. That?s when Johnson extended her career-long hitting streak to an impressive nine games with her first at bat when she found a gap into left field advancing Meyer to second. Kentucky ended the inning with a pop-up to shortstop and a strikeout unable to push across a run.
Tennessee got an opportunity to jump out in front in the bottom of the first as they opened the game with a walk and then advanced the runner on a sacrifice bunt. A groundout to third advanced the runner all the way to third. UT got runners on the corners with the second walk of the inning, but Matousek got her first strikeout against the Volunteers to end the scoring threat.
The Wildcats went on the attack again in the top of the third inning as they loaded the bases with a single out, but UT?s pitcher Megan Rhodes got out of the inning with two strikeouts. Freshman Meagan Aull got the inning started with a single and then Meyer got her second base hit of the day. Rhodes hit Johnson with a pitch, as she reached base for the second straight at-bat, but that would be all the closer the Wildcats would get as Rhodes caught two UK batters with strikes.
Kentucky had another opportunity in the top of the fifth frame. Meyer got her fourth hit of the afternoon when she once again found a gap in right-center. Johnson took a ball to the leg and reached base for the second time in the game after being hit by a pitch. With runners on first and second, Kentucky popped up to second to end the inning.
Tennessee loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth after opening up the inning with a walk before Matousek got her fourth strikeout of the game. The right-hander then put her second runner on base with another walk, before UT loaded the bases with a single into center. Matousek got out of the inning when the UK defense made a spectacular double-play. Katie McCarty took a one-hop grounder at third and promptly threw home for the first out. Megan Yocke tossed to first for the second out escaping the inning unblemished.
UK once again put the pressure on in the top of the sixth. Mordecai opened the inning with a base on balls and then moved to second on a Yocke lay-down bunt. McCarty reached first with a walk of her own, but UK struck out and flied out to left field closing out the frame.
The Volunteers used a five-run fifth-inning to take the first game of the doubleheader. The homestanding team tallied three extra base hits in the fifth frame to take the lead after UK held them scoreless for 12 straight innings.
UK immediately responded in the top of the sixth. Meyer found a gap in left center and sent a ball to the wall for a stand-up double. Johnson stood in the plate and used her second offering to knock an RBI single into left field plating Meyer from second. Smith hit into a fielder?s choice, and Johnson got caught at second. DeMartine pushed Smith all the way to third with a single into the right-center gap. Mordecai then loaded the bases with a base on balls. The inning ended on a strikeout with three runners left stranded, making the score 5-1 in the sixth.
Kentucky and Tennessee opened the second game of their series much like yesterday?s offensive struggle. The teams combined for five hits in four innings, with UK edging the Volunteers in the statistical category. Smith opened the first inning with a single to left field, but a fly out to right field ended the inning. Mordecai opened the second inning with a single of her own. An attempted bunt popped up to the third baseman, and Mordecai got caught in the base paths and the inning ended with another fly out to right field. Aull started the third inning with a hit to right field and advanced to second on a Meyer groundout to short. Kentucky could not push the runner any further as UK hit into a groundout to third and flew out to center to close out the inning.
The Wildcat defense held the Volunteers to 12 consecutive innings without a run scored. Jennifer Young saw three base runners in four innings, with the most prominent threat occurring in the fourth inning. The second batter of the inning reached on an error and advanced to second on an illegal pitch. The runner was able to advance to third on a sacrifice fly to center field, but Young got the final batter of the inning to fly out to Aull in center field.
Young went the distance for UK throwing all seven innings. She took the loss and her record falls to 3-2 on the season. It was her first start of the season in conference play, and she tossed six scoreless innings despite giving up the loss. Meyer led the UK bats with two hits, a double and a single in the sixth and seventh innings.
Kentucky returns to action with a single game against Miami (Ohio) at the UK Softball Complex Monday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. tomorrow. Live stats and complete results of the game will be available at www.ukathletics.com.
