COLUMBIA, S.C. ? The University of Kentucky softball team downed South Carolina today, Mar. 19, to take the rubber game of the series by a final score of 2-1. The Wildcats improve to 14-13 on the year and 2-7 in the Southeastern Conference, while USC falls to 19-10 and 1-5 in league play.
This is the first SEC series the Wildcats have won since taking two games at Arkansas on Apr. 26-27, 2003. The Cats set a new school record with nine walks, breaking a two-year old record that was set on Mar. 23, 2005, against Marshall.
The Wildcats didn?t have a hit through the first three innings but broke up the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth. Gina Florence battled at the plate and drew a leadoff walk then moved to second on a perfect sacrifice bunt by Megan Glenn. Florence went to third when Lori Melchi reached on a fielding error by the USC shortstop to put runners at the corners with one out. Ali Ray moved Melchi to second with a groundout back to the pitcher to make it two outs. That brought up Brooke Marnitz who was intentionally walked to load the bases for Megan Miller. The freshman came up big with a two-run single to center field to put the Cats on top 2-0.
Sophomore Samantha Allen made her first start of the season and shut down the Gamecocks through four full innings of work. The Florida native gave up just two singles and walked one. Allen retired the side in order twice and sat down the last eight batters she faced.
Game two winner Jessica Trueblood relieved Allen in the top of the fifth and gave up the first USC run on a hit batter and an RBI single to cut the Wildcat lead to a run. Trueblood struck out the last two batters of the inning and stranded a runner at second to stop the Gamecock rally.
The Gamecocks rallied again in the bottom of the seventh but Trueblood stranded runners at second and third when she got pinch hitter Kristi Hutchins to look at strike three as the Cats held on for the 2-1 win and took the series two games to one.
?Despite some factors out of our control, we found a way to get a win today,? said head coach Eileen Schmidt. ?We are tired after a very long road trip, but we really battled today and got the job done and won the series.
Allen got the win in her first start of the season to move to 1-0 on the year. Allen didn?t allow run and walked one, while giving up two hits in 4.0 innings of work. Trueblood tossed three innings and struck out three to earn her second save of the season.
?Sam Allen did a great job in her first start after a horrible back injury,? added Schmidt. ?She threw four strong innings and then Trueblood came in and shut them down.?
The Cats had just one hit, the two-run single by Miller who went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Florence and Melchi scored the two runs for the Cats in the victory. Cooper went 0-for-1 but set a career high with three walks on the day.
Jessica Barnes (2-3) got the loss for USC after giving up two runs on one hit in the complete-game outing.
Kentucky returns to action next weekend, Mar. 25-26, when they host the first of three straight home SEC series as LSU comes to town for a three-game series at the UK Softball Complex.
