Morehead, Ky. ? The Kentucky softball team swept their second intrastate rival in a week, beating the Morehead State Eagles 10-0 and 7-2 Wednesday in Morehead, Ky. The Cats pounded out 23 hits and six home runs against the Eagles, including three from Emily Marks and a grand slam in game two from Amber Janneck.
The Cats (21-20-1) put the second game away early, as Janneck cleared the bases and broke open a 1-1 tie game in the second inning with her 10th home run of the season. Marks padded the UK cushion with her second and third homers of the day in the third and fifth frames to give the Cats a six-run lead. Marks ended the day with an incredible five hits, three RBIs and five runs in the doubleheader. The freshman also tied a school record for home runs in a game with two.
Jessica Nance was 3-for-4 in the nightcap with a run, while Rachel Friberg and Janneck each registered two hits apiece and a run. Callie Kovacs also recorded her first hit as a Wildcat in the game. Gretchen Prugh (4-5) earned the win in relief, striking out eight in five innings of work.
The Cats put up 11 hits while blanking MSU 10-0 in the first game, as Marks again led the way with a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the plate. UK took a 4-0 lead into the third, but Meghan Cooper and Lori Melchi both hit two-run round-trippers in the inning to give UK an 8-0 advantage after three. The Cats tacked on the final blow in the fifth, as Marks led off the frame with a solo home run and a triple from Gretchen Prugh scored Crystalie Wolfe from first for the final margin.
The blast from Melchi was the first of her career and was part of her two-hit, three-RBI contest. Janneck and Brooke Marnitz also had two hits against the Eagles (11-19) in game one. Wolfe (5-0) pitched the last two innings of the game to earn the win, as the match-up lasted only five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.
The Cats return to action this weekend, as they play host to the No. 4 LSU Tigers at the UK Softball Complex. Action gets underway at 1 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Live stats can be accessed at www.ukathletics.com.
