The University of Kentucky softball team (11-3-1) was victorious in two games on Sunday, giving them the championship at the Kentucky Spring Invitational Tournament. The Cats defeated Ball State, 1-0, on a one-hitter by freshman Gretchen Prugh, then turned around and defeated Northern Iowa, 4-3, in the championship game.
Prugh was nearly flawless in earning her first career win. She allowed just the one hit and did not walk any Ball State batters. She faced just 23 batters, two more than the minimum for her seven innings of work.
Kentucky?s lone run came in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs, senior Rachel Friberg walked and proceeded to steal second. Sophomore Meghan Cooper hit a slow ground ball to the shortstop, but the first baseman couldn?t handle the throw and the ball rolled away allowing Friberg to score. That?s all the Cats would need as they held on for the 1-0 victory.
In the championship game against the Panthers, the Cats got on the board in the top of the third. Freshman Amber Janneck led off with a single. Friberg hit a hard grounder to the UNI shortstop, but the throw was too late and it got away from the first baseman and rolled into the dugout. Janneck came around from second and scored on the error while Friberg advanced to second. Friberg then attempted to steal third. An errant throw by the catcher allowed her to score the game?s second run.
The Panthers tied things up in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run blast by Rachael Rogers. The Cats retook the lead 4-2, adding a run in the top of the sixth and an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Rogers then led off the bottom of the seventh with her second home run of the day, pulling UNI within one. But despite getting a runner to third, the Panthers could not score the tying run and Kentucky held on for the 4-3 win. Sophomore Amy Kendall (4-3) pitched six innings, earning her second victory of the tournament.
Friberg went 3-4 on the day with a walk and scored three of the five Kentucky runs. Sophomore Jessica Nance was 1-3 against Northern Iowa with an RBI and made some stellar defensive plays, preventing Panther runs.
The Cats went 4-0 in their home tournament, and Kentucky pitchers gave up only three runs and 11 hits in the four games.
UK begins the SEC schedule next weekend, as they travel to Gainesville, Fla., to take on the Gators.
