LEXINGTON, Ky. ? The Kentucky softball team dropped a pair of games to the No. 1 Lady Vols today, April 15, to fall to 19-21 on the year and 4-15 in Southeastern Conference matchups. UT took game one by a score of 8-2 and won the finale by a final of 9-4. Tennessee improves to 47-2 overall and 17-2 in SEC play.
The Lady Vols took an early lead in game one on a pair of singles in the top of the first. UT added to its lead with four runs on a pinch-hit grand slam by Danielle Pieroni to take a 5-0 lead. A solo homer by Jennifer Griffin in the top of the fourth gave the Lady Vols a 6-0 advantage.
The Wildcats got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Alli Eckman drew a walk and came around to score when Ashley Fertic homered off Tennessee ace Monica Abbott to make it a 6-2 score. It was the fourth homer of the season for the senior outfielder.
Tennessee added a single run in the top of the sixth after three singles and a walk. The UK defense did strand a pair of runners in that inning, including a rundown at the plate to stop the scoring with UT leading 7-2.
The Lady Vols plated their eighth run of the game on back-to-back doubles off Jennifer Young in the seventh and took the opener by a final of 8-2.
Abbott earned the win to improve to 35-1 after allowing two earned runs on five hits and striking out 16 in the complete game victory.
Young was tagged with the loss after giving up eight earned runs on 12 hits in 7.0 innings of work.
In the nightcap, the Lady Vols scored three in the top of the first and put up another two-spot in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead.
The Wildcats answered with back-to-back solo homers off UT starter Megan Rhodes by Katie Campbell and Molly Johnson in the home half of the fourth to make it a 4-2 game. That sent Tennessee to the bullpen for Abbott who gave up a two-out a single to Fertic, but struck out a pair to end the inning.
UK cut the lead to a run in the bottom of the fifth. Smith led off the inning with a single and scored on a two-out homer by Brooke Marnitz to pull the Cats within one at 5-4.
The Lady Vols responded with three runs in the top of the sixth to push their lead back to four at 8-4. An insurance run in the seventh accounted for the 9-4 final after Abbott retired the side in order in each of the final two innings to hand the Wildcats their third straight loss.
Abbott improved to 36-1 with the win. She allowed two earned runs on three hits and struck out six in 3.2 innings of relief.
Megan Jolly took the loss to even her record at 7-7 after giving up six earned runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings. She struck out five in the loss.
The Wildcats had six hits in the loss and tied a school and season record with three homers in the game by Campbell, Johnson and Marnitz who belted her 19th of the year. Smith went 1-for-4 with a run scored in the finale, while Fertic was 1-for-2 after homering in the first game of the day. Audrey Meyer added a single in the loss.
Kentucky returns to action next weekend, Apr. 21-22, when it travels to Columbia for a three-game set against South Carolina.
