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The Kentucky softball team set a new school record with its eighth straight win in the opening game of a doubleheader against the visiting Rebels of Ole Miss (17-9, 1-1 Southeastern Conference). The Cats took game one by a final of 5-3, but fell in the nightcap by a score of 4-1 to move to 12-15 on the year and 1-1 in conference play.
Kentucky is now 3-6 in SEC openers and is 3-1 when playing those games at the friendly confines of the UK Softball Complex.
The Rebels got on the board first with a single run in the top of the second. The Wildcats took a one-run lead in the home half of the fourth when Jessica Nance belted a two-run homer to right-center field to give the Cats a 2-1 lead.
Ole Miss went on top by a run in the sixth when DeDe Justice homered to left field to put the Rebels on top, 3-2. The celebration in the Ole Miss dugout would be short-lived as Kentucky answered in the bottom of the inning. Nance reached on a fielder?s choice, followed by a single by Ashley Fertic. After Amber Janneck was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Megan Glenn delivered a two-run single to left field to give UK the 5-3 lead.
Megan Cooper tossed a one-hit seventh to earn her first save of the year. Samantha Allen improved to 9-6 on the year after allowing two earned runs on six hits in 6.0 innings of work. The freshman hurler struck out four and walked two en route to the victory.
Glenn recorded career-highs with two hits and two RBIs, while second baseman Brooke Marnitz had a career-high with two stolen bases. Fertic went 2-for-2 with a runs cored, while Nance scored twice and drove in a pair with her first longball of the season.
In the nightcap, the Cats managed just three hits off Ole Miss? Dana Brill (4-4). Callie Kovacs broke up the no-hitter in the fifth inning with a double to left-center, but was stranded there when Lori Melchi flew out to center to end the Wildcat scoring threat.
The Rebels took a 4-0 lead to the seventh and threatened to hand UK its fifth shutout of the season.
The Cats avoided the shutout with a run in the bottom of the seventh as Janneck led off with a single, moved to second when Glenn was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a single by Marnitz. She would score on a sacrifice bunt by Kovacs to account for the 4-1 final.
Cooper (3-7) took the loss, giving up one earned run on five hits in 3.1 innings of work. She struck out three Rebels and walked none. Allen tossed 3.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits.
The series concludes on Sunday, Mar. 13, with the third and final game of the weekend. First pitch is set for 1 PM.
