CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.– The University of Kentucky softball teamlost its first two games of the Sonic Invitational on Friday.
UK fell to Marshall 10-5 in the Cats first game of the round-robintournament at Frost Stadium. Marshall jumped out to an early lead byscoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Second baseman NicholeCorrigan led off the game with a double to left field and later scored whenVanessa Clarkson singled to right field. Junior Kelli Hall capped off theMarshall scoring with a two-run home run off Wildcat starting pitcherMonique Lovell. UK scored in the bottom of the first when senior LeslieKwiatkowski tripled to right and was sacrificed home by second basemanNikki Jones.
Marshall scored two more runs in the top of the second inning onconsecutive singles, followed by an error on Jones. UK freshman RachelFriberg drilled her first homer of the season in the bottom of the inning.
UK junior Jen Howland replaced Lovell on the mound with one out in thethird after the Thundering Herd banged out two more hits. Marshall put thegame away by scoring four runs in the third inning. Kentucky added tworuns in the fourth and one more in the fifth inning but came up short asThundering Herd pitcher Sara Gulla went the distance for the victory. Gullaimproved to 3-0 on the season, while Lovells record fell to 0-1.
The Wildcats were downed in their second game of the day by hostUT-Chattanooga 3-0. UK starter Morgan Marr gave up two runs on a walkand two singles in the bottom of the first inning as the Lady Mocs jumpedon top early. That was enough for UTCs Beth Alexander as the juniorright-hander allowed the Cats just three singles over seven innings.
Alexander also recorded a 2-1 win over UK in last seasons SonicInvitational. UKs Marr gave up only one hit after the first inning butabsorbed the loss as Kentucky was shut out for the first time this season.Marr fell to 3-3 on the season.
The Wildcats Rachel Friberg and Lindsey Angus each recordedthree hits on the day.
UK (4-8) returns to action Saturday in a 4 p.m. contest with Liberty,followed by a 6 p.m. matchup against Virginia Tech.
