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The Wildcat softball team dropped a Southeastern Conference doubleheader at Arkansas today, Apr. 23, falling 10-2 in the first game and 4-0 in the finale. UK falls to 19-34 on the year and 3-19 in the SEC, while the Lady?Backs move to 18-35 overall with a 3-19 mark in league play.
The Lady?Backs took an early lead in the first game of the doubleheader as they scored four runs on five hits in the bottom of the first.
The Cats cut that lead in half in the top of the second. Meghan Cooper walked and moved to second when Jessica Nance reached base on an error by the UA left fielder. Cooper scored on an RBI single by Katie Campbell. Nance rounded the bases and scored on a single up the middle by Lori Melchi.
UA added five runs in the fourth and scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth as it went on to take the opening game by the final score of 10-2.
Three Kentucky pitchers worked the opener and Cooper was tagged with the loss after allowing four earned runs on four hits. Kristi Warneke pitched well for the Cats over the final 1.2 innings, giving up one run on four this and striking out three. Samantha Allen threw the middle three innings and allowed four earned run son five hits and struck out four batters.
The Wildcats managed five hits, all singles, and stranded four baserunners in the game. Nance stole her team-high 12th base of the season in the loss.
The Lady?Backs went to work early in the second game, as well, scoring three times on two hits and a pair of Wildcat errors to go on top, 3-0, after one inning of play.
Starting pitcher Amy Kendall regrouped after the shaky first and retired 11 straight batters and held Arkansas scoreless over the next 4.1 innings until Ashley Carter belted a solo homerun to make the score 4-0.
UK had just three hits on the day, including a pair of doubles by Brooke Marnitz and Jenny Sibert. Cooper added a sixth-inning single for the third hit of the game.
The three-game series wraps up on Sunday, Apr. 24, with a single game. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net South and is set to begin at 2 p.m. ET.
