The University of Kentucky softball team dropped a doubleheader tonight, Apr. 26, at the UK Softball Complex. The Wildcats fell 4-1 to No. 21 Louisville (31-8) in the first game of the night before dropping a 2-0 decision to Eastern Kentucky (27-23). The Cats fall to 21-29 on the year.
The Cats and Cards faced off in the evening?s opening game. UofL took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first after a hit and the first of four UK errors in the game.
Kentucky tied it in the home half of the second inning. Ashley Fertic reached on a fielder?s choice and went to second on a balk. She would move to third on a single to shallow left field by Gina Florence and score on a single up the middle by Megan Glenn to tie the game at a run apiece.
The score remained knotted at one until Audrey Rendon led off the top of the third with a solo homerun right field. The Card plated two more runs on Lori Melchi?s first error of the season to take a 3-1 lead.
UofL ace Catherine Bishop came in to relieve starter Kady Garrick in the fourth and earned the win. Bishop didn?t allow a UK baserunner past second base as she held on for the win to improve to 20-5 on the year.
Amy Kendall was tagged with the loss despite retiring 13 of the last 14 batters she faced. Kendall (8-9) gave up three runs on three hits in 5.0 innings of work and struck out five.
Meghan Cooper had two of the Wildcats? four hits, going 2-for-3 at the plate, while Glenn finished 1-for-3 with an RBI.
In the night cap, EKU also scored in the top of the first. The Colonels plated two runs on three hits, including two run-scoring singles, off UK starter Jessica Trueblood.
The freshman hurler did not allow a Colonel past second base the rest of the way. Trueblood only got better as the game went along as she retired the side in order on just three pitches in the top of the sixth.
The Cats weren?t able to give Trueblood any run support, however, as EKU?s Kayln Fox shut down the Wildcat lineup. UK had just three singles and stranded seven baserunners in the game. Cooper, Glenn and Katie Campbell all singled in the loss.
Trueblood got the loss despite giving up just one earned run and striking out six. The Salem, Ore., native tossed her 13th complete game of the season, but fell to 8-16 on the year. Fox gets the win to improve to 12-10 this season.
The Wildcats return to Southeastern Conference action this weekend, Apr. 29-30, as they travel to Oxford, Miss., to take on Ole Miss. The three-game series kicks off with a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 29, set to begin at 4 p.m. EDT.
