The Kentucky softball team’s bats had been held at bay for much of the weekend at the NCAA Regional, including in a 2-1 loss in the first game of Sunday’s regional final.That all changed in a win-or-go-home game two.

The Wildcats exploded for 10 runs in the first three innings, including six in the second to down DePaul, 10-1, and advance to their third NCAA Super Regional in the last four seasons.

DePaul had already lost once in the double-elimination tournament, so the Wildcats needed just one win Sunday in two chances. The Blue Demons prevailed in game one, 2-1 in 10 innings, to force a second game, and that’s when the UK bats came up bigger than ever.

“Our hitters decided to put the team on their back and go out and score runs,” UK head coach Rachel Lawson said. “In the other games, I think (Kelsey) Nunley did a good job of putting the team on her back and I thought we had good defensive play but I think that the mindset of the team offensively was we need to get this done.”

UK advanced to the regional final with an unblemished 2-0 record, with a 2-0 win over Ohio on Friday and a 2-1 win over James Madison on Saturday. In the two victories, Kentucky rode Nunley’s stellar pitching arm while scoring just enough runs to win.

After game one’s 10-inning loss, the Wildcats had their backs against the wall and knew the offense had to come through in order to earn a ticket to Super Regionals.

“Coach just basically talked to us and said it was time to get it done,” sophomore Christian Stokes said. “This is make-it-or-break-it, this is your opportunity right here, just go out here and have fun and take hard cuts.”

In the bottom of the first inning of game two, Sylver Samuel got things going for the UK offense with an inside the park home run. The first homer of Samuel’s career was a grounder up the middle through a drawn-in outfield that rolled all the way to the center field wall.

By the time the DePaul center fielder, who was playing in shallow left center, could get to the ball, Samuel was nearing third and thinking of home. Samuel circled the bases and a throw was never made to try and get her out at home plate.

“There were a lot of holes and a lot of people had shifted so I was just trying to get something started,” Samuel said. “I was thinking more about making sure my timing was right and everything and finding a hole. I saw people still running when I was going to second. I saw that they hadn’t gotten to the ball yet so I saw (Kristine) Himes running and I was like, ‘Well, she’s waving me,’ so I just went for it.” 

Samuel’s home run was the only run of the first inning, but it sent momentum and confidence into Kentucky’s dugout.

“That was huge for our team,” Stokes said. “We needed something that would get our momentum going and I think that was a huge at-bat. We scored a run on one hit, so that is huge. I think that got it started and then hits were going all around.”

Nunley retired the side in order in the top of the second inning, and it was time for the UK bats to get back to work in a big way.

With two outs and the bases empty, the big inning almost didn’t happen, but senior Emily Jolly reached on an error. Krystal Smith followed with a single and sophomore Ansley Smith walked to set up Stokes with the bases loaded.

Stokes sent a ball deep to left field that bounced off the top of the wall for a double. Just a foot short of clearing the fence, the bases emptied and gave UK a 4-0 lead.

“I didn’t feel too much pressure,” Stokes said. “When I got up there and I was on deck I knew that we had to get it done right here because this was a huge opportunity for us. I came up in the first game and didn’t get the job done so I knew I wanted to help out my team and get it done on the second chance.”

The runs didn’t stop, however, as Samuel tripled to score Stokes and, after sophomore Nikki Sagermann walked, junior Griffin Joiner doubled down the left field line to score two more.

After UK scored a total of five runs in the previous 24 innings, the offense had just rattled off seven in the span of two innings.

With the hits, five of them in the first two innings, came momentum for both the offense and Nunley in the circle.

“I think the momentum definitely shifted towards us once we started getting hits,” Samuel said. “That picked us up a lot and I think it just got our offense rolling and I think it gave Kelsey (Nunley) confidence that she didn’t have to put the team on her back as much.”

Along with the Wildcats’ ability to make adjustments at the plate in the second game, the key to their offensive success in the second game was the fact that they moved on quickly from the first game’s loss.

A team with four sophomores in the starting lineup, including the first three in the order, was able to forget about game one and quickly shift its focus to getting key hits in game two.

“You just have to move on,” Lawson said. “You have to bounce back if you want to keep going. The nice thing about our team is that they love softball. They are able to adapt, adjust and move on. What we lack in certain offensive numbers, I think we make up for in terms of mental toughness and sure grit.”

That mental toughness and grit is what has helped UK to a school-record 47 wins in 2014, the program’s first-ever trip to the SEC Tournament Championship game and now a second consecutive NCAA Super Regional appearance.

The Wildcats, seeded 14th in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field, head to Los Angeles next weekend to face third-seeded UCLA in a best-of-three series.

To advance to its first Women’s College World Series in team history, Kentucky will need the hot bats that came to life in Sunday’s second game. That, and more of the toughness and grit that got them there in the first place.