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Monroe, La. ? The Kentucky softball team improved to 3-1 on the season after defeating Louisiana Monroe 5-1 Saturday night at the Mardi Gras Classic in Monroe, La. The Cats defeated the host school after losing to No. 9 Louisiana Lafayette earlier in the day.
The Cats scored two runs to open the game, as Amy Kendall knocked in her fourth runner of the year with an RBI single to put UK on the board in the first inning. Brooke Marnitz stole home to give UK the early 2-0 advantage, and Meghan Cooper hit the fourth homerun of her career in the third to push the margin to three. ULM countered in the fourth with one run, but UK answered quickly, tacking on two more in the fifth to seal the victory.
Cooper went 5.1 innings on the hill for Kentucky in the win. The sophomore gave up only six hits to ULM while striking out three. Cooper also went 1-for-2 at the plate for the Cats, scoring two runs. Amy Kendall, who pitched 1.2 innings of relief, was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
UK dropped its first game of the season to No. 9 Louisiana Lafayette 8-4 in the tournament?s first game. The Cats got on the board in the bottom of the first inning, as Rachel Friberg and Cooper produced back-to-back singles to reach base with only one out. Kendall sent Friberg home with a base hit up the middle to give Kentucky a 1-0 early lead.
The Rajn? Cajuns answered back in the second. Lacey Bertucci?s solo homer started the three-run rally in the top of the inning, and UL countered with three more in the third to give them a 6-1 cushion. UK?s Amber Janneck sent the first ball of her career out of the park in the sixth, and, after two more runs from UL, Meghan Cooper drove in Janneck and Gina Florence in the seventh to provide the final 8-4 margin.
Louisiana Lafayette?s Brooke Mitchell was stellar on the mound, going six innings while striking out 12 Kentucky batters for her first win of the season. Cooper went 3-for-4 at the plate for UK with two RBIs and replaced starting pitcher Kendall on the mound in the fifth inning. Cooper faced only 10 batters in three innings of work, giving up only one hit to the Rajin? Cajuns and no runs.
The Cats are now 0-2 all-time vs. UL and 1-1 vs. ULM. UK returns to action Sunday morning at 9 a.m. to face Georgia Tech, and UK will meet Gardner Webb in their last contest of the weekend at 11 a.m.
