Freshman Megan Miller?s two-run double in the bottom of the sixth gave the Kentucky softball team an 8-0 run-rule victory over visiting Arkansas tonight, Apr. 14, at the UK Softball Complex. The Wildcats scored five runs in the home half of the sixth to win by the 8-0 final and improve to 19-24 on the year and 3-16 in the Southeastern Conference. The Lady Razorbacks? record falls to 19-26 with a 5-13 mark in league play.
The Cats led 3-0 as they entered the sixth which began with five straight Kentucky hits. Katie Campbell led off the frame with a double off the wall in right and went to third on a double by Ashley Fertic. Gina Florence beat out an infield single to load the bases for Megan Glenn who delivered an RBI single to left to put the Cats on top 4-0. Ashley Dimkich followed with an identical hit to left that scored Fertic and gave UK the five-run lead. Florence was forced out at the plate when Ali Ray reached on a fielder?s choice, but Lori Melchi reached on an error by the Arkansas shortstop that gave the Cats a 6-0 edge. Miller came to the dish with one out and sent a Kayce Odle delivery to the wall in left-center field to plate two runs and give the Cats the eight-run win.
Miller finished with a career-high three RBI after driving in a run with a double in the fifth to score Ray. The Wildcats first two runs came on Ashley Fertic?s fifth home run of the season in the fourth. The two-out homer scored Meghan Cooper who walked earlier in the inning.
Miller finished 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI, while Florence and Glenn each went 2-for-3 at the plate. Fertic turned in a 2-for-3 performance with a double, a homer, two runs scored and two RBI. Campbell was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored, while Glenn and Dimkich each added an RBI in the Cats? fifth run-rule victory of the season and their first since a 13-1 win over Belmont on Mar. 5.
Reigning SEC Freshman of the Week Jessica Trueblood went the distance on the mound for the Cats, tossing her team-leading 11th complete game of the season. It was the third shutout for the Salem, Ore., native who stranded seven Lady?Backs and struck out six in 6.0 innings of work. Trueblood gave up just three hits ? all singles ? and walked two in the complete-game shutout.
Trueblood didn?t allow a hit until a leadoff single in the third inning. The Wildcat defense committed three errors in the game, including two in the fifth which put runners at the corners with two outs. Trueblood got the UA cleanup hitter to pop up to shortstop to end the inning and did not allow a baserunner the rest of the way, retiring four straight Razorbacks.
?We got back to getting the job done tonight whether it was getting the bunt down or making adjustments at the plate,? said head coach Eileen Schmidt. ?Jessica Trueblood got us out of a few tough situations and we had solid timely hitting throughout the lineup. The bottom of the lineup really did well today and that was nice to see.?
The series concludes on Saturday, Apr. 14, with a doubleheader. Game one is set to begin at 1 p.m.
