WACO, Texas ? The University of Kentucky softball team fell to No. 18 Baylor today, Feb. 11, in a six-inning 9-0 decision in its fifth and final game of the Getterman Classic in Waco, Texas. The Wildcats move to 3-2 on the year, while the Lady Bears are now 5-0.
Baylor took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first when Ashley Monceaux hit an RBI single to right and later scored on a home run to right field by Chelsi Lake. UK starter Jennifer Young walked the next batter she faced, but regrouped and retired the next two Lady Bears on a pair of fly balls to the outfield.
The Lady Bears added two more runs on four hits in the top of the third inning to go on top by a score of 5-0.
Junior Megan Jolly came in to relieve Young in the circle in the top of the fourth. The Owensboro native saw a pair of runners reach base on a fielding error and an infield single, but retired three straight to escape with the 5-0 score in tact.
Baylor added to its lead in the sixth with four runs on three hits and a Kentucky error to take a 9-0 lead.
Audrey Meyer led off the bottom of the first with a single to right, but the Lady Bear pitching staff held the Wildcats hitless over the next four innings until Ashley Fertic roped a liner to right field with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Meyer followed with her second base hit of the day, a ground ball up the middle, to put runners at first and second for Natalie Smith who grounded out to the pitcher end the rally and the game.
Meyer finished 2-for-3 with a pair of singles in the loss. Fertic added the only other hit for the Cats with her single in the sixth. The Cats had a season-low three hits in the game and committed their first two fielding errors of the season.
Young took the loss to fall to 2-2 on the year after allowing five earned runs on seven hits in 3.0 innings of work. Jolly didn?t allow an earned run, but saw four runs score on four hits in her 3.0 innings of relief.
Lisa Ferguson got the win for Baylor and improved to 3-0 on the year after giving up one hit over 4.0 shutout innings.
The Wildcats return to action next weekend, Feb. 17-18, when they host Maine in the home opener. The three-game series kicks off with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday at the UK Softball Complex.
