The Kentucky softball team dropped two games to the Tennessee Volunteers on Wednesday, March 10 at the UK Softball Complex. The Wildcats (12-8-1, 1-4 SEC) dropped a 4-1 decision to the Lady Vols in the first game of the doubleheader before losing a heartbreaker in game two, 1-0.
Amber Janneck recorded the Cats? only run in the first game with her second home run of the series, as she led off game two against the Lady Volunteers (22-5, 4-1) with a solo shot over the left field wall. UT tied the game in the third, as Lindsay Schutzler singled to start the frame. After a stolen base, Schutzler knotted the game at 1-1 on an RBI single from Kristi Durant.
An error and another RBI single from Durant scored two more for the Lady Vols in the fifth, and UT added an insurance run in the seventh to seal the 4-1 win. Monica Abbott improved to 19-2 with her second win of the series. She gave up three hits while striking out 11 in the complete game. Meghan Cooper (4-2) took the loss in four innings of work.
Katie Campbell accounted for UK?s two other hits in the contest. Durant went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate for the Lady Vols while scoring two of UT?s four runs.
The final match of the series stayed scoreless through five innings, but UT broke the tie with the game?s only run in the top of the sixth. Schutzler reached base on a walk and scored on a Durant RBI single to put UT up 1-0. Durant was ruled as an unreported substitution one batter later; however, the run stayed on the board because it was not reported before the next batter came to the plate. The Cats never got a runner past second base in the contest while dropping its third consecutive game to UT.
Stacey Jennings recorded the victory in 5.1 innings for the Lady Vols. Abbott came into the game in relief of Jennings with two runners on the bags and one out in the fifth, but the freshman got UT out of the jam with the next two outs.
Rachel Friberg and Meghan Cooper both had two of UK?s six hits in the nightcap. Amy Kendall fell to 4-6 on the year with the loss for the Cats.
UK returns to action this weekend, when they head out of town on a seven-day road trip to face SEC foes Ole Miss and Georgia. The three-game series with the Rebels will begin Saturday, March 13 at 1 p.m.
