The University of Kentucky softball team lost the third and final game of its series with Mississippi State today as the Bulldogs scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to win by the final of 3-2. UK falls to 14-25 on the year and 1-11 in the Southeastern Conference, while MSU improves to 21-15 overall and 3-6 in conference play.
The Wildcats drew first blood as leadoff hitter Brooke Marnitz drew a base on balls. Ashley Fertic laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move her to second. Marnitz went to third on a deep fly ball to center field by Amber Janneck and scored when Jessica Nance beat out a two-out infield single to give UK the early 1-0 lead.
UK added to its lead in the second as Katie Campbell sent a Stephanie Comeaux delivery over the scoreboard in left field for her fourth homerun of the year.
Junior Amy Kendall looked sharp in her first start of the season. After leadoff doubles in the first two innings, she regrouped and got some help from her battery mate as Campbell made two key catches against the back screen. Kendall stranded a third runner in scoring position in the third as she got Jennifer Jessup to ground out to end the MSU scoring threat.
Kendall left a fourth Bulldog at third base in the fifth as she got a pair of groundouts and a popout to shortstop to end the inning and remain unscathed through five innings of work.
Meghan Cooper doubled to left-center field with two outs in the sixth inning for the Cats? first hit since Campbell?s longball in the second.
The Bulldogs erased the shutout in the bottom of the sixth as a run scored after a throwing error by Kendall allowed the inning to continue. Samantha Allen came in to pitch in relief and got a strikeout to strand runners at the corners and get out of the inning with a 2-1 advantage.
The Bulldogs tied the game at two in the bottom of the seventh when Courtney Bures tripled to the wall in right to score Keri McFarling who had reached on a throwing error earlier in the inning. MSU would win on a single to left field that gave the Bulldogs the 3-2 win and the sweep.
Kendall was impressive on the mound for UK as she went 5.2 innings, giving up one run on four hits, while striking out three. Allen (10-11) was tagged with the loss after giving up one earned run on two hits in 0.1 innings of work.
The Cats won?t get much of a breather as they return to action early this week in Knoxville, Tenn. Kentucky will make the trip to take on the No. 4-ranked Lady Vols. The mid-week SEC series begins with a Tuesday, Mar. 29, doubleheader at 4 p.m. Game three is slated to begin Wednesday, Mar. 30, at 4 p.m.
