BATON ROUGE, La. – The Kentucky softball team dropped a Southeastern Conference doubleheader today, Apr. 3, to No. 5 LSU. Kentucky fell 4-0 in the opener and dropped an 8-4 decision in the second game of the day. UK falls to 17-16 on the year and 4-12 in the SEC, while LSU improves to 37-5 overall with a 12-2 mark in league play.
UK starter Amber Matousek was stellar on the mound in game one for the Wildcats. The freshman gave up just one hit over the first four innings and retired nine straight LSU batters. She walked Tayl?r Hollis on four pitches with one away in the bottom of the fifth and then gave up the second hit of the game with a single through the left side by Shannon Stein. Both runners stole a base to move up and leadoff hitter Dee Dee Henderson beat out an infield single to drive in Hollis, breaking open the shutout and giving LSU a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers added to the lead in the sixth after a pair of singles and a two-run double by Vanessa Soto who was thrown out third trying to stretch it into a triple. LSU made it a 4-0 advantage when Rachel Mitchell hit a solo homer over the wall in left.
The Wildcats had two hits on the day as Brooke Marnitz and Molly Johnson each singled in the loss. Matousek was charged with the loss and evens her record at 5-5 on the year. She gave up four earned runs on eight hits and struck out three in 5.1 innings of work.
LSU?s Emily Turner got the win to improve to 13-4 after striking out six in the two-hit complete-game shutout. She walked four but the Cats were unable to manufacture a run and put a run on the board.
The loss was the fifth shutout of the year for UK and marks the first time all season they have been held scoreless in back-to-back games. Arkansas blanked the Cats by a score of 2-0 in the series finale on Sunday afternoon in Fayetteville.
The Wildcats made sure they weren?t shutout for the third straight game in the nightcap. Natalie Smith singled up the middle to lead off the game and went to second on a throwing error by the LSU catcher. She stole third and would come around to score on Marnitz?s two-run shot over the wall in left to put UK on top 2-0.
The Tigers tied the score in the home half of the first but not without controversy. Head coach Eileen Schmidt was thrown out of the game after arguing a call by the home plate umpire who called Henderson safe at the plate after a collision with UK catcher Katie Campbell who appeared to hang onto the throw. LSU scored its second run of the inning on an RBI double down the right field line by Soto to knot the score at two runs apiece.
The Wildcats loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fourth when Johnson was hit by a pitch, Bishop singled and Eckman drew a walk. UK wasn?t able to push a run across, however, and left the bases loaded to end the inning.
LSU took the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Soto singled to left and went to second when Rachel Mitchell reached on a fielding error by Smith. Soto would score on a double off the wall by Hollis and Mitchell plated the second run of the inning when Stein reached on a fielder?s choice. The Tigers made it a 5-2 lead when Andrea Smith reached on the second Wildcat error of the inning. LSU added two more runs before the UK defense turned its second double play of the game to get out of the inning and end the scoring.
The Wildcats threatened to score in the top of the fifth. Smith doubled off the wall in right with one out and Audrey Meyer walked to put runners at first and second. After Marnitz popped up to the infield, Campbell sent a fly ball to the warning track but it landed in the glove of the LSU center fielder to end the inning with UK trailing by five.
The Tigers plated a single run in the fifth but the Wildcats turned their third twin killing of the game to erase a pair of baserunners and end the inning with no further damage.
LSU continued to hold a six-run lead entering the seventh inning, giving UK one last chance at a comeback. Smith led off the frame and delivered her third hit of the game with a single up the middle. Meyer followed with a fly ball to center and Marnitz struck out to bring Campbell to the plate with two outs. The senior delivered this time with a two-strike bomb over the wall in left-center to make it an 8-4 game. That was as close as the Cats would come as Johnson struck out to end the rally and the game.
Smith went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Campbell and Marnitz each drove in a pair of runs in the loss. Campbell hit her ninth homer of the season, while Marnitz belted her SEC-leading 14th longball of the year.
Junior Megan Jolly, who transferred from LSU this season, took the loss to fall to 6-5 on the year. Jolly gave up two earned runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings of work.
UK now has an SEC-leading 20 double plays of the season. That three in game two tied the school record for twin killings in a game. UK has turned three double plays on six occasions with the last time coming against Western Kentucky on April 30, 2003.
The Wildcat defense also tied a season-high with five errors in the second game, matching the total committed in a 9-7 loss to Mississippi State on March 13 in Lexington.
Kentucky will play its seventh game in six days when it hosts Western Kentucky for a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday, Apr. 5. Game time is set for 4 p.m. at the UK Softball Complex.
