LEXINGTON, Ky. ? The Kentucky softball team dropped a nine-inning decision at Louisville tonight, Apr. 11, by a final score of 7-6 to see its record fall to 19-18 on the year. The Cats and Cardinals split the season series for the second straight year as UofL improves to 23-16 with the win.
UK falls to 0-2 in extra-inning games this season with the loss. The Cats lost an eight-inning game to Auburn earlier this season in Lexington.
The Cardinals got on the board in the home half of the first after a pair of singles to the outfield. UofL added a run in the third on a walk, a double and an RBI single to take an early 2-0 lead.
Following an hour-long rain delay, the Wildcats tied the game in the top of the fourth. Brooke Marnitz tripled off the fence in left-center and would come around to score on a mammoth home run to right field by Katie Campbell.
Kentucky scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning. Ashley Fertic led off the inning with a single to left and went to second on a perfect sacrifice bunt by Ashley Dimkich. Natalie Smith followed with a slicing liner to left-center that fell for a double, bringing in Fertic and putting the Cats on top by a score of 3-2.
The game would go to extra innings after Louisville tied it up in the bottom of the seventh after a leadoff triple and an RBI single to make it three-all.
With the international tie-breaker in effect in the eighth, the Wildcats loaded the bases on a walk to Marnitz and Campbell reached on an error by the Cardinal first baseman. Alli Eckman then sent a sacrifice fly to the wall in center to score Meyer from third and give Kentucky the 4-3 edge.
In the bottom of the eighth, Meyer threw out the would-be tying run at the plate with a strike from left field on a double by Brittany York. However, a pinch runner would score the tying run when Sarah Totten singled to right field to knot the game at four.
The Cats went ahead once again in the top of the ninth. This time, Fertic scored after another sacrifice bunt by Dimkich and an RBI single to right by Destinee Mordecai. Kentucky added another run on Smith?s team-leading fourth triple of the year to give the Cats a 6-4 lead.
UofL tied the score once again in the home half of the ninth on a pair of singles. The Cards scored the go-ahead run when Dimkich?s fielded a ball cleanly at first, but saw her throw to the plate sail wide and allow the winning run to score.
Smith led the Wildcats at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and two RBI. Campbell also drove in a pair of runs, while Fertic went 1-for-4 with a single and two runs scored. Mordecai finished 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
The Wildcats return to Southeastern Conference action this weekend, Apr. 14-15, when they host No. 1 Tennessee for a three-game set. The series kicks off with a doubleheader on Saturday set for a 1 p.m. start at the UK Softball Complex.
