TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ? The Kentucky softball team lost a Southeastern Conference doubleheader today, Apr. 28, at No. 2 Alabama. The Crimson Tide took game one by a final of 12-3 in five innings before losing game two by a score of 6-0. The Wildcats fall to 20-27 on the year and 4-20 in the SEC, while UA is now 49-4 overall with a 20-4 mark in league play.
The Wildcats loaded the bases in the top of the first inning against Alabama ace Chrissy Owens, but a strikeout ended the threat and the Cats were unable to push a run across.
The Crimson Tide plated four runs in the home half of the inning on four hits, including a three-run homer by Dani Woods. UA added a three-spot in the second and made it a 10-0 lead with three more in the third.
The Wildcats erased the shutout in the top of the fourth when they batted around and scored three times. Ashley Dimkich reached on a fielder?s choice and went to second when Jenny Sibert beat out a two-out infield hit. Audrey Meyer followed with her team-leading 26th walk of the year. The Cats scored their first run of the game when Alli Eckman delivered a single to right field to bring in Dimkich. Senior Brooke Marnitz then belted a two-run double to right-center field to make it a 10-3 Alabama lead.
UK pitcher Megan Jolly retired the Tide in order in the bottom of the fourth. The Wildcats had a runner in scoring position again in the fifth after Gina Florence hit a one-out double to right but was stranded there to end the frame.
Alabama?s Ashley Holcombe led off the bottom of the fifth with a double and scored on Kelley Montalvo?s two-run walkoff homer as UA won by the final of 10-3.
The Wildcats had seven hits in the game, but stranded nine baserunners in the loss. UK starter Amber Matousek was charged with the loss after giving up four earned runs on four hits in an inning of work to fall to 6-8 on the year.
In the second game of the twin bill, Alabama took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Charlotte Morgan. The Wildcats stranded a trio of UA baserunners on solid pitching from game two starter Linday Brogdon and defense behind her. A liner to Marnitz at shortstop and a fly ball to Meyer in left kept the runners in place. Dimkich then fielded a ball down the line at first off the bat of Michelle Menningham for the third out of the inning.
UA added four runs on two hits and three walks in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead. They made it a 6-0 advantage after a walk, hit batter and a pair of singles in the bottom of the fifth.
That would be the final as Kentucky managed just two hits – singles by Fertic and Eckman – over the final two innings.
The Cats and Crimson Tide wrap up the series tomorrow, Apr. 29, with a single game scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET.
