LEXINGTON, Ky. — After not seeing game action for a week, the University of Kentucky softball team racked up 20 hits and 13 runs as they handed Morehead State its first losses of the season Wednesday at the UK Softball Complex. Kentucky earned wins by scores of 5-3, and 7-1, and has now won nine of its last 10 games.
Kentucky (11-8, 0-0) used a terrific day at the plate and two solid pitching efforts to earn victories in their final games before beginning Southeastern Conference play this weekend in Knoxville. Morehead State (12-2, 0-0) entered Lexington with an unblemished record and had not yielded more than four runs to an opponent all season. Kentucky not only ended the Eagles? run of 12-consecutive wins, but they also plated more runs in two games than Morehead State had given up all season.
?(Morehead State) has a lot of really good players,? said Head Coach Rachel Lawson. ?They had some solid pitching performances on the mound. So, we beat a very good team, and I think getting out here and scoring some runs really gave us some confidence heading into SEC play. In addition, they (Morehead State) are a very good running offensive team, which is a very similar style to Tennessee. So, that helped give us some experience for the big games coming up.?
Junior Katie McCarty enjoyed her best day as a Wildcat at the plate, registering four hits on the afternoon including two doubles. McCarty was one of three UK players who had multiple hits in both games this afternoon. Sophomore Natalie Smith led the team with five total hits, while freshman Megan Yocke had a two-hit performance in both games.
?Katie had a great day at the plate and on the field,? said Lawson. ?It was probably the best day she?s had as a Wildcat. I also thought Natalie (Smith) and (Megan) Yocke were outstanding for us today offensively.?
In the nightcap, UK used a four-run second and a three-run fourth inning to plow their way to a convincing 7-1 win. Morehead State jumped out in front in the top of the first plating a run on a double-steal effort.
McCarty led off the bottom of the second frame with a double and eventually rounded home on a throwing error by the Eagles to jump-start the offense. Yocke tallied an RBI double, and Smith followed suit with an RBI single. Molly Johnson scored Smith from first on a triple to deep right-center putting the home standing team up 4-1 through two frames.
Kentucky would put the game out of reach with three runs in the fourth. Yocke and Smith both tallied their second RBI of the game, while freshman Sam DeMartine got in on the action plating the final Wildcat run with a single through the left side.
Sophomore pitcher Jennifer Young went the distance for the Blue and White fanning five batters and giving up no earned runs. It is her third win of the season. The five strikeouts is a career-high for a game for the right-hander.
In the first game, Kentucky used a solid effort in the circle by sophomore Amber Matousek. Matousek threw all seven innings, giving up no earned runs and sat 10 batters down on strikes. The 10 strikeouts tie a career-high, which she has achieved two other times this season. The right-hander has now amassed more than 100 strikeouts for her career. Matousek?s record improves to 4-3 on the year.
Kentucky took an early two-run lead scoring runs in the first and second innings. Both runs scored unearned thanks to errors by the Eagles.
Morehead State tied the game at two in the top of the fourth. The Eagles scored on two hits in the innings due in large part to a costly Wildcat error.
Kentucky answered with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to stretch the lead to 5-2. Smith?s RBI double to left-center plated senior Audrey Meyer who had started the inning with a double of her own. Yocke?s double in the sixth scored two runs to propel the Wildcats over the Eagles to begin the day. Morehead State would go on to score a run in the seventh, but the Eagles could not overcome the four run advantage.
?Defensively I thought Molly (Johnson) and Annie (Rowlands) had great days,? Lawson said. ?Annie did a fabulous job out in left field with only having a few starts at that position. She made a bunch of big catches for us today.?
The Wildcats are next in action Saturday and Sunday, March 15 and 16. Kentucky travels to #4/6 Tennessee to open up SEC play. The border-state rivals will play two games on Saturday and finish the series with a single game on Sunday. Live stats and complete coverage of the games in Knoxville can be found at www.ukathletics.com.
