DAVIS, Calif. ? The University of Kentucky softball team split a pair of games today, Feb. 24, at the Aggie Invitational in Davis, Calif. The Wildcats topped Sacramento State (4-8) 9-1 in six innings and then fell 4-2 to UC-Riverside (6-5) in the final game of the double dip. The Cats snapped a three-game winning streak and are now 6-3 on the year with the split.
The Wildcats got on the board first in the bottom of the third. Audrey Meyer doubled to left field to lead off the inning and came around to score when Natalie Smith singled to center field to break open the scoreless tie. Molly Johnson added to the total with a two-run homer over the left field wall to put UK on top 3-0.
Kentucky made it a 7-0 lead with four runs on four hits in the fifth inning. Smith singled up the middle and stole second. She moved to third on a single to left field by Brooke Marnitz to put runners at the corners for Molly Johnson. The freshman third baseman delivered a rope down the left field line to score Smith. That brought up UK career home run leader Katie Campbell who wasted no time adding to her total as she sent a pitch over the left field wall to make it a 7-0 Kentucky lead.
UK starter Jennifer Young was sharp on the mound for the Cats and held the Hornets scoreless until the leadoff hitter reached on a throwing error in the sixth. She went to second on a single but was left there when Brooke Marnitz made a stellar diving stop at shortstop. After a walk, Young gave up just her fourth hit of the afternoon, but the RBI single was enough to erase the shutout.
The Cats run-ruled the Hornets in the sixth after Meyer was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and went to third on a double to right by Smith. Meyer scored on a groundout to the right side by Marnitz and the Cats put the game out of reach when Johnson delivered her fourth RBI of the day with a sharp single past the second baseman to give UK the 9-1 victory.
Young got the win in her second complete game of the season. She improves to 4-2 after giving up one unearned run on four this and struck out one in 6.0 innings of work. Young retired the side in order in three of her six innings against Sacramento State.
Johnson finished 3-for-3 with a homerun, two runs scored and four RBI. Smith added a 4-for-4 performance with three runs scored and a double, while Campbell went 2-for-3 with a homer, a run and three RBI.
In the nightcap, UCR scored first with a run in the home half of the first after back-to-back hits to lead off the game. The Wildcats turned one of three double plays on the day to end the threat, trailing 1-0.
The UK bats went to work in the top of the second as Campbell led off with a double off the wall in right. She went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Alli Eckman and scored on a fielder?s choice by Ashley Fertic. The Cats would take a 2-1 lead when Destinee Mordecai singled to center to drive in Becky Bishop who had drawn a walk earlier in the inning.
Riverside re-claimed the lead in the third on an RBI single and a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-2 UCR lead. The Wildcat defense played well all day, including a stellar stop in left field by Ashley Fertic to take extra bases away from Lauren Bauer and halt a Highlander attempted rally in the fourth. Young came in to relieve Lindsay Brogdon and retired the side in order to end the frame.
The Cats threatened in the fifth when Bishop led off with a double and went to third on a sac bunt by Mordecai, but she was stranded there after a pair of flyouts to halt the Wildcat comeback.
UCR made it a 4-2 game with a solo homer in the fifth. The Cats had two runners on in the seventh with a pair of two-out singles by Meyer and Smith, but they would be stranded on the bags as the Wildcats fell in the nightcap.
Smith finished 2-for-4 at the dish, while Mordecai was 1-for-2 with an RBI. Campbell and Bishop each doubled in the loss for the Cats.
UK returns to action Sunday, Feb. 25, as it wraps up play in the three-day tournament against host team UC-Davis. Game time is set for noon at LaRue Field.
