LEXINGTON, Ky. ? The Kentucky softball team used timely hitting and patience at the plate to split a non-conference doubleheader with rival Indiana today, Apr. 25, at the UK Softball Complex. The Cats fell 5-4 in the opening game, but came back to win the second contest by the same score. UK improves to 20-25 with the win, while Indiana is now 21-28 overall.
The Wildcats went to work early in game one, scoring two runs on four hits in the home half of the first inning. Junior Audrey Meyer led off the game with a double to left-center and moved to third when Gina Florence laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt. Brooke Marnitz followed with an RBI single to left field to give the Cats a one-run lead. After Marnitz was called out for leaving first base early, Katie Campbell singled through the right side. She would come around to score on a single up the middle by Ashley Fertic to make it a 2-0 Wildcat lead.
That is how the score would remain until the top of the fifth when the Hoosiers broke open the shutout with a leadoff double, a sac bunt and an RBI single to cut the lead in half.
The Hoosiers took the lead in the top of the sixth on a two-run homer by Rachel Terry to make it a 3-2 Indiana lead.
The Wildcats battled back and re-claimed the lead in the home half of the frame. Katie Campbell led off with a single through the left side and scored on Fertic?s fifth home run of the year to give Kentucky the 4-3 edge after six innings of play.
IU would score twice in the top of the seventh with the help of a pair of Kentucky fielding errors and a two-run single to take a 5-4 lead.
Florence drew a base on balls to lead off the inning and Marnitz moved her to second with a bunt. Molly Johnson drew a two-out walk to put runners at first and second, but that?s how the game ended when Fertic went down swinging to end the game.
Campbell finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Fertic was 2-for-4 with a run and three RBI. Marnitz went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Jenny Sibert and Ashley Dimkich each also added a hit in the UK loss.
Freshman Amber Matousek was tagged with the loss to fall to 7-6 on the year. She allowed three earned runs on nine hits in the complete-game and struck out four Hoosiers on the day.
In the nightcap, the Hoosiers used the longball to take an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second. The Wildcats made two stellar catches in the outfield to end the inning. Sibert made a running grab against the wall in right and Meyer ended the inning when she snagged a sinking fly ball in left field.
Indiana added a run on back-to-back doubles in the third to go on top, 3-0.
The Wildcats broke open the shutout in the bottom of the third. Meyer drew her second straight leadoff walk and scored on a home run to straightaway center field by Marnitz. The senior shortstop?s 21st homer of the season pulled the Cats to within a run and made it a 3-2 Indiana lead.
The Hoosiers got one of those runs back in the top of the fourth after a walk and a two-out double to go back on top by two.
The Wildcat defense halted an IU rally in the top of the fifth. UK starter Lindsay Brogdon surrendered a one-out walk and put runners at second and third when she gave up a double to the IU cleanup hitter. Freshman Jennifer Young came in to relieve Brogdon and walked the first batter she faced to load the bases. However, she got a groundball back to the circle and threw to Eckman covering at home to erase the would-be run and Eckman threw to first for the inning-ending double play which stranded two runners.
Good defense spurred great offense in the bottom of the inning. Florence and Campbell drew a pair of walks and Johnson delivered a two-out single to center to make it a one-run game at 4-3. Fertic drew a two-out base on balls to load the bases and send the Hoosiers to the bullpen for reliever Jennifer Moore. Eckman was the first batter she faced and the junior put her to work in the circle. After a seven-pitch at-bat, Eckman lined a full-count shot into right-center to double and drive in two runs to give the Cats a 5-4 advantage.
The Wildcats continued to play solid defense behind Young and did not allow a Hoosier past first base the rest of the way as the Cats snapped a season-high eight-game losing streak with the win.
Kentucky had just three hits with the double by Eckman, homer by Marnitz and single by Johnson. Young got the win to even her record at 7-7 after giving up just one hit and two walks in 2.2 innings of relief. Brogdon pitched well in her fourth start of the season, allowing four runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings of work.
The Cats lead the SEC and rank seventh in the nation in double plays. They turned two twin killings in the second game and had one in the opener to raise their total to 24 on the year.
The Wildcats return to Southeastern Conference action this weekend, Apr. 28-29, when they travel to Tuscaloosa for a three-game series against No. 2 Alabama.
