LOUISVILLE, Ky. ? Sophomore Molly Johnson hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning, but the Wildcats? late rally fell just short as they lost 5-4, at Louisville Wednesday night.
Sophomore Natalie Smith began the last inning with a single up the center of the infield to put a runner on base with the Wildcats trailing 5-2 heading into their final at-bat. Johnson?s fourth round tripper of the season led the offense, but the comeback fell just short as the Cardinals swept the season series with their in-state counterparts.
Senior Audrey Meyer started off the top of the first with a walk and then Smith registered an infield single putting two runners on base to open the game. Johnson smacked a solid hit to deep left-center, but Louisville?s Kristi Cunningham made a spectacular catch for the first out of the inning. UK?s next two batters went down on strikes leaving two runners stranded.
Johnson opened the top of the fourth with a double to deep center field. She advanced to third on sophomore Destinee Mordecai?s sacrifice hit. Freshman Megan Yocke also reached base when she was awarded first on a called base on balls, but the inning ended on another Wildcat strikeout.
The Cardinals plated three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to go up 3-0. UL?s Sarah Totten hit a bases-clearing double that reached left-center to score three runs giving the home team the early advantage.
UK responded with a run on of its own in the top half of the fifth inning making the score 3-1. Freshman Meagan Aull began the inning with a single that fell in shallow right field. The speedy freshman took second and advanced to third on Meyer?s fly out to deep right field. The Wildcats plated the run thanks to a Cardinal error by shortstop Colby Wherry on Smith?s at-bat. Johnson then was hit by a pitch and freshman Sam DeMartine loaded the bases when she reached on a walk. Kentucky ended the inning with three runners left on base on a strikeout.
Kassie Stanfill?s two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth extended the home team?s lead to 5-1.
The Wildcats closed the gap to 5-2, scoring an additional tally in the top of the sixth. Yocke jump started the inning with a single down the right field line and then reached second on a wild pitch. Aull registered her second hit of the game with a double that got pinned in the corner of the left field wall that scored Yocke from second base.
Sophomore Amber Matousek went the distance for the Blue and White tossing seven innings bringing her season total to 113 innings, a new career-high. Johnson led the UK bats with her fourth game this season in which she hit two multiple base hits with a double and a home run in today?s contest. Aull and Smith also tallied two hits a piece.
The Wildcats fall to 13-14 overall on the season, while the Cardinals improve to 14-12 on the season.
Kentucky next returns to action when they host South Carolina in a conference series Saturday and Sunday. The Wildcats and Gamecocks will play a doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, and follow that with a single contest beginning at 1 p.m., on Sunday. Complete coverage and live stats can be found at www.ukathletics.com.
