Box Scores: |
HOUSTON, Texas ? The University of Kentucky softball team took the early lead in both its games at the Crowne Plaza Classic today, Feb. 19, in Houston, Texas, but fell short in both to move to 1-13 on the young season. UK fell to Texas State (4-10) in five innings by a final of 12-3 before dropping a 10-2 decision to North Carolina (9-1) in the second game of the doubleheader.
The Wildcats grabbed an early 1-0 lead as sophomore Ashley Fertic sent a Katie Ann Trahan pitch over the left-center field wall for her first home run of the season and the second of her career.
The Bobcats tied the score in the third two hits, including an RBI double by Amy Krueger.
UK used the long ball again in the third as shortstop Amber Janneck belted her second homer of the season to give the Cats a 2-1 lead.
TXST answered with seven hits in the fifth inning, including three home runs to take a 12-2 advantage.
Janneck added a run with her second homer of the game and her third of the season in the home half of the fifth, but that was all the Cats would manage as they went on to fall to the Bobcats by the final of 12-3.
UK had seven hits to 10 for TXST, including a stand-up double by Lori Melchi. Samantha Allen (1-6) took the loss after giving up seven runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings of work, while striking out three batters.
In the second game, the Cats plated a pair of runs in the first as Jessica Nance had a lead-off single and moved to second on a balk. She would score when she beat a throw home after an error by the first baseman. Gina Florence walked and scored on a second UNC error to give UK the 2-0 lead.
The TarHeels tallied a pair of 10-hit, five-run innings to take a 10-2 lead into the fifth. The Wildcats were retired in order to end the game after five innings.
Freshman Amber Nix made her first collegiate start as the designated player and recorded her first hit as a Wildcat with a single in her first at-bat of the game.
Meghan Cooper (0-5) was tagged with the loss after giving up eight runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings.
Play wraps up Sunday, Feb. 20, with a 10 AM game against Minnesota. This marks the first meeting between the two schools.
