Gainesville, Fla. ? The Kentucky softball team dropped their first two games in Southeastern Conference play to the Florida Gators Saturday night at the UF Softball Stadium. UF pounded out 13 and 11 hits, respectively, in the two wins, while UK (11-5-1, 0-2 SEC) managed to get only four base hits and one run in the doubleheader.
The Gators (19-2, 2 SEC) got on the board first in the early game, as Mylin Prieto took her first pitch from starter Meghan Cooper over the left field wall to give the Gators a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Brooke Marnitz knotted the score in the top of the second, as the freshman led off the frame with a stand-up double to right field for UK?s lone hit of the game. Amy Kendall moved Marnitz to third with a sacrifice bunt, and after a throw from the UF catcher to the third basemen went into the outfield, Marnitz tied the game at 1-1.
UF retook the lead in the bottom of the second and never looked back. Melissa Zick led off the inning with a double and Jenilee Garner followed by bringing home Zick with an RBI single. Kristen Butler reached base on fielder?s choice and also scored in the frame to give UF a 3-1 advantage after two. The Gators added three more in the third and two in the eighth to provide the final 8-1 score.
Cooper (4-1) lost her first game of the year on the mound, going 1.2 innings and giving up six hits and three earned runs. Stacey Stevens won her sixth game of the season for UF in 5.2 scoreless innings of work. Two Gators each registered three of the Gators? 13 hits in the contest, as Lindsay Norfleet and Melissa Zick both went 3-for-4 at the plate.
In the second game, Florida ace Jenny Gladding (8-2) tossed a complete game shutout in a 6-0 UF victory. Rachel Friberg tallied two of Kentucky?s three hits in the contest, as sophomore Amy Kendall (4-4) took the loss for the Cats on the mound. Gladding fanned nine Cats and faced only 26 batters in her seven innings of work.
The Cats and Gators wrap up series play on Sunday with a 1 p.m. contest. Results will be available at www.ukathletics.com.
