Defensive Mistakes Spoil Humes’ Solid Outing, UK Drops SEC Opener

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Uncharacteristic defensive mistakes haunted the No. 9 Kentucky Softball team on Friday night as the Wildcats suffered their first defeat of the season to the No. 5 Florida Gators in a tight 3-1 game on Southeastern Conference opening night in Gainesville.
 
Autumn Humes pitched well in the loss, suffering her first defeat of the season in the circle, only succumbing three runs on a half-dozen hits against the potent Gators’ lineup. Humes went the complete game in the circle with one walk and two strikeouts.
 
All three of Florida’s runs were scored on defensive mistakes by the Wildcats, as a ball fell in left field to plate a pair of runs off the bat of Kendal Lindaman and a third run crossed on a teasing ball into center off the bat of Charla Echols.
 
Game two of the series will be on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be shown on the SEC Network+, ESPN3 and the ESPN app with Kyle Crooks (pxp) and Francesca Enea (color) on the call from Gainesville.
 
Key Stat
1. Friday night marked Kentucky’s first loss of the season.
 
Key Player
Autumn Humes was the key player in the game, throwing a complete game in the circle, and also plating UK’s only run of the game on a sac fly to center in the top of the fourth inning.
 
Key Play
The key play was the two-run scoring double by Kendal Lindaman in the bottom of the fourth inning. The ball was not caught by the Kentucky defense, and two runs scored in what at the time was a 1-0 UK lead. The two runs that scored ended up being the eventual game-winning runs.
 
Run Recap
With the bases loaded and nobody out, Kentucky scored the first run of the game in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Autumn Humes to score Lauren Johnson, who led off the inning with a double to right-center. UK 1, UF 0
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Gators struck for two runs on a ball to the outfield that was not properly played and fell to the ground. UF 2, UK 1
 
In the sixth inning, the Gators scored on a lead-off single by Hannah Adams followed by a double to CF by Charla Echols in the successive at bat. FINAL – Florida 3, Kentucky 1
 
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