The University of Kentucky softball team dropped a Southeastern Conference doubleheader to Mississippi State today, May 6, at the UK Softball Complex to fall to 21-35 on the year and 4-25 in the league. The Bulldogs improve to 32-28 overall and 6-22 in the SEC with the sweep.
The Wildcats exploded for four runs on five hits in the bottom of the second. Brooke Marnitz started the scoring with a one-out double. She went to third on Megan Glenn?s infield single to put runners at the corners. Marnitz would score and Glenn went to second on a wild pitch by MSU starter Ragan Blake to give the Cats a 1-0 lead. Gina Florence added a two-out single to right field and advanced on a throw to put runners at first and third for Lori Melchi. The senior delivered her second hit of the afternoon with a single to left field that scored two runs and gave the Cats a 3-0 advantage. Melchi then scored the fourth run of the inning on Megan Miller?s single up the middle to give UK a 4-0 lead after two innings.
UK starter Jessica Trueblood was impressive until she ran into trouble in the fifth inning. The Bulldogs knotted the score in the inning on four singles a hit by pitch and one Kentucky error. Amy Kendall relieved Trueblood with the bases loaded and gave up a single to left, but Ashley Fertic threw a strike to the Katie Campbell covering at the plate to retire Blair Geddings who was attempting to score the go-ahead run.
Kendall retired the side in order in the sixth, but gave up a one-out single and a two-run homer to left-center field by Sammie Jo Bailey to give the Bulldogs a 6-4 lead.
Kelli Miller retired the first three Wildcats she faced in the bottom of the inning as MSU held on for the two-run win and snapped a 20-game losing skid.
Melchi led the Cats, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI. Miller also had an RBI in the game, while Marnitz, Glenn and Florence each had a hit and scored a run. Cooper and Marnitz each doubled in the loss.
Kendall got the loss for the Cats after allowing two runs on four hits in 2.1 innings of work. The senior is now 8-12 on the year. Trueblood struck out four and walked four in 4.2 innings. She allowed four runs but just one earned.
Kendall got the start on the mound in game two. The game was scoreless until Bailey homered for the second time off Kendall, this time a solo shot over the wall in left to give MSU a 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs added a run in the top of the seventh on a two-out double and throwing error by Meghan Cooper to go on top 2-0.
The Cats were retired in order in the home half as the seventh as the Bulldogs swept the SEC doubleheader. The Bulldogs outhit the Cats 6-4 in the second game of the double dip.
Melchi, Miller, Cooper and Marnitz each singled in the game, while Cooper was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the third to give her a team-high 15 HBP for the season. Cooper is second in the SEC and ranked eight in the nation in being hit by a pitch.
Seniors Cooper, Megan Glenn, Kendall and Melchi were honored in pre-game ceremonies and will play their final games for the blue and white in the series finale on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
