ATHENS, Ga. ? The Kentucky softball team dropped the third, final and rubber game of its series against No. 18 Georgia today, Mar. 18, to fall to 14-10 on the year and 2-6 in Southeastern Conference play. The Bulldogs improve to 26-9 overall with a 4-1 mark in league play.
The Bulldogs got on the board first with three runs in the opening inning. A leadoff walk, followed by a bunt single and a double to center gave UGA the early 2-0 lead. The Dawgs added a run on a wild pitch and an RBI groundout to go on top 3-0 after one inning of play.
Georgia added a pair of runs on two hits and a UK error to make it a 5-0 lead in the second.
The Wildcats plated their first run of the game in the top of the third. Destinee Mordecai led off with a walk, stole second and went to third on a single by Natalie Smith. Mordecai would come around to score on a sacrifice fly by Ashley Fertic to make it a 5-1 game.
Georgia got that run back in the bottom of the fourth on a pair of hits and an RBI groundout to go on top 6-1.
Kentucky added a pair of runs in the top of the sixth when Molly Johnson doubled off the wall in left and scored on Katie Campbell?s seventh home run of the year. Becky Bishop followed with a solo shot to deep center to make it a 6-4 UGA lead. The back-to-back homers were the ninth time two Wildcats have homered in the same inning and the second time they?ve done it in consecutive at-bats.
The Wildcats made a valiant effort in the final inning. Smith put a charge into a Kate Gaskill delivery but it was caught by Victoria Sanders in deep left field for the first out of the frame. Fertic hit a chopper back to the pitcher and Johnson lined a hard shot to left, but Sanders made the snag again to end the game as Georgia took the series two games to one.
Megan Jolly took the loss to fall to 3-4 on the season after giving up five runs on four hits in 1.1 innings of work. Jennifer Young tossed 4.2 innings of relief and allowed one run on two hits.
Christie Hamilton (7-3) earned the win, allowing four earned runs on six hits and striking out five in 5.1 innings of work.
Campbell finished 2-for-3 at the plate and hit her team-leading ninth double of the season. Campbell also homered and drove in two runs in the loss. Johnson hit her eighth double of season and went 1-for-4 with a run scored. Bishop and Fertic each drove in a run, while Smith extended her team-high hitting streak to four games with a single in the second inning.
Kentucky returns to action this Wednesday, Mar. 21, when it hosts Marshall for a single non-conference game. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at the UK Softball Complex.
