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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ? The Kentucky Wildcat softball team swept a doubleheader at the Frost Cutlery Invitational today, Feb. 25, to extend its winning streak to three games. UK moved to 4-13 on the year with a 3-1 win over Tennessee Tech (4-6) and a 10-7 win over Virginia (4-6).
In the opening game of the tournament, leftfielder Lori Melchi and rightfielder Alli Eckman led off the third inning with back-to-back singles. Jessica Nance laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to put runners and second and third for Gina Florence who delivered a run-scoring single to give the Cats a 1-0 lead. Catcher Katie Campbell drove in the second run of the inning when she reached on an error by the TTU first baseman.
UK plated a third run in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI-triple to right field by Eckman to score Melchi from first and put the Cats on top 3-0. The triple was Eckman?s second hit of the day and the first extra-base hit of her Wildcat career.
Samantha Allen tossed a four-hitter, struck out three and gave up just one unearned run in 4.1 innings of work. Allen moves to 3-6 on the after picking up her second straight win. Meghan Cooper did not allow a run on two hits in 2.2 innings of relief.
In the second game, UVa took an early 4-0 lead with a run in the first and a three-spot in the second. The Cats pushed a run across in the bottom of the third. Nance reached on a walk, stole second and scored on a double to right center by Amber Janneck.
Kentucky exploded for seven runs in the fourth to on top, 8-4. Two walks and a hit batter led off the inning and the Cats added four hits, including a bases-clearing double by Callie Kovacs, to take the four-run edge.
The seven-spot is UK?s highest run total for an inning, as well as the most runs scored in an entire game this season.
The Cavaliers pulled to within a run with two runs in the fifth and a single run in the sixth to make it 8-7.
UK pulled away again in the sixth as Fertic drove in two runs with a triple to left-center field to give it a 10-7 lead heading into the top of the seventh.
Cooper closed out the final 2.1 innings on the mound and stranded the leadoff batter at second after getting three groundouts to end the game as the Wildcats held on for the sweep.
Allen (3-6) got the win as she and Cooper combined to allow just four earned runs on the day.
Janneck went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Melchi added two hits, with a run and an RBI. Fertic drove in two runs, while Kovacs plated three with her double in the fourth inning. Nance scored two runs, stole a base and drove in a run in the win over the Cavaliers.
?A lot of people stepped up for us today and came through with timely hits when we needed them,? said head coach Eileen Schmidt. ?We did a lot of things right today, but we need to continue to improve and get better every time we step on the field.?
UK returns to action Saturday, Feb. 26, when it faces Purdue (6-3) at 4:45 PM and Kent State (3-0) at 7 PM at Frost Stadium.
