The University of Kentucky softball team completed the weekend sweep as it pounded Belmont in five innings by a score of 13-1 in the championship game of the Frostbite Classic. The Wildcats were a perfect 4-0 over the weekend to improve to 11-6 overall, while the Bruins are now 8-6-1 on the year.
The Wildcat offense got started early as they plated six runs in the bottom of the first on six hits. Brooke Marnitz led off the game with a double to left field and scored on an RBI double by Katie Campbell. Ashley Fertic, Gina Florence and Lori Melchi added RBI singles in the first, while Megan Glenn chipped in with a run-scoring two-base hit. Megan Miller drew a bases loaded walk to give the Cats a 6-0 lead after one inning of play.
Kentucky batted around for the second straight inning as they scored five more runs in the home half of he second. Fertic belted a two-run homer, her second of the season, after Campbell reached on an error by the BU centerfielder to put UK on top 8-0. Freshman Ali Ray drove in a run with a fielder?s choice, while Miller made it 11-0 with a two-run single through the left side of the infield.
Freshman Lydia Pierce got the start on the mound for the Cats. The Las Vegas native sat down the first six batters she saw, but walked the first two batters of the third when light rain began to fall. After a brief delay, Pierce was relieved by Jessica Trueblood who walked the first batter she faced but then retired the side in order after allowing a run to score from third on a grounder to second.
Following a scoreless third, the Cats added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth on three straight doubles by Meghan Coooper, Campbell and Fertic to give the Cats the 13-1 advantage.
Trueblood struck out the side in the fifth and final inning as the Cats went on to win the game by the run-rule. Trueblood improved to 4-3 on the year after giving up one hit and one walk in 3.0 innings of work. The freshman struck out four of the 10 batters she faced.
?What a great team effort under terrible conditions. For Pierce and Trueblood, it was tough out on that mound,? said head coach Eileen Schmidt. ?We had a great offensive output today. We played hard again this weekend with great effort. We are a fun team to watch when we do that.?
Campbell went 2-for-3 with two doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs today, while Glenn finished 2-for-2 with two runs scored, a double and an RBI. Melchi added a 2-for-3 performance at the plate with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base. Cooper was 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run, while Miller finished 1-for-2 with three RBIs and a run scored for the Cats.
?I would hope with the way we played as a team that we are through the ?pity me? stage with all our injuries,? added Schmidt. ?That is not going to change and we have to keep fighting. The pitchers did a great job on the mound after a poor weekend in San Diego. The bottom of the lineup was impressive – especially Lori Melchi. If we are going to compete, we have to have strength in the circle and at the bottom of the lineup.?
The Cats return to action Wednesday, Mar. 8, when they travel to Richmond to take on intra-state rival Eastern Kentucky. The single game is set for 3 p.m. in Richmond.
