Seniors Shine in Sunday Win over South Carolina
The Kentucky softball team honored its seniors prior to Sunday’s doubleheader against South Carolina. The emotional farewell for seniors Brooklin Hinz, Hannah Huffman, Rachael Metzger and Erin Rethlake included framed jerseys, video tributes and quite a few tears.
One of the most emotional players during the ceremony was Rethlake, who was joined on the field by her parents and her sisters. Rethlake was clearly moved by the festivities and by her family’s presence.
But it wasn’t long before Rethlake would be in the circle as the starting pitcher for Kentucky in game one of a doubleheader against 12th-ranked South Carolina. How was Rethlake able to compose herself so quickly?
“I didn’t know I was going to be that emotional when we did all of that stuff,” Rethlake said. “I generally don’t like to be that emotional, so it’s the flip of the switch, I put the (sunglasses) on and it was done. That was kind of what happened, the glasses were on and it was over.”
Rethlake earned her ninth win of the season in Sunday’s first game, as Kentucky topped South Carolina 8-4. The left-hander pitched a complete game, retiring 10 Gamecocks in a row at one point, including setting South Carolina down in order in both the fourth and fifth innings. Despite giving up a season-high nine hits, Rethlake was able to hold the powerful South Carolina offense to just three earned runs, while allowing three walks and striking out five. She knew her job was to keep South Carolina’s offense in check.
“Their offense is really good,” Rethlake said. “So it was important for me today, regardless of how good my stuff was, to spin the ball and make it move and depend on the defense because they’ve been great all year.”
Kentucky head coach Rachel Lawson was proud of how Rethlake competed in Sunday’s first game.
“She came up with some really big pitches in key moments,” Lawson said. “It showed how tough she was and how much she wanted to take her team to the SEC Tournament. I think that’s the thing I’ll remember, for what a gutty performance she had on Senior Day.”
While Rethlake was getting it done in the circle, Hinz was doing damage at the plate. After Kentucky got a run in the first on an Abbey Cheek sacrifice fly, Hinz led off the bottom of the second inning with her third home run of the season, giving the Cats a 2-0 advantage.
South Carolina tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the third inning, but Kentucky answered with a six-run fourth inning to blow the game open. Hinz drove in her second run of the game on a fielder’s choice, scoring Cheek from third to make it 3-2 UK. The big blow in the rally came from freshman Mallory Peyton, who hit her second home run of the weekend. This one was a three-run shot that gave Kentucky a 6-2 lead. The Wildcats would add two more runs to stretch the lead to 8-2 after four.
Rethlake was able to appreciate both the short-term and long-term implications on Sunday’s win.
“That was a big win for us. Obviously, this series was really important to us,” she said. “But the fact that it was senior day, and then we played that well in the first game, that was awesome.”
The win earns Kentucky a bid in this week’s SEC Tournament in Columbia, Missouri. Kentucky’s opponent is still to be determined. The win also puts the Wildcats in good shape to potentially host an NCAA Regional in two weeks. And that would mean a few more games for the 2018 seniors at John Cropp Stadium, a place where they excelled again on Sunday.
