LEXINGTON, Ky. ? The Kentucky and Indiana softball teams combined for 29 runs in a game that took nearly three hours and eight innings to complete, before the visiting Hoosiers claimed a 16-13 victory on a windy day at the UK Softball Complex. Indiana also took game one of the doubleheader with a 5-4 victory.
The two teams combined to score a UK-record setting 29 scores in a game. It is the most tallies in a contest in school history, the record previously set at 24 runs. Sophomore Molly Johnson led the way going a combined 7-of-9 that included four doubles, a home run and seven RBI. Sophomore Natalie Smith enjoyed a 6-for-8 day at the dish, bringing in two scores and crossing the plate four times.
Trailing by a single run heading into the bottom of the seventh, Kentucky got clutch performances from their number two-to-four hole hitters with two outs. Freshman Megan Yocke stood in the batters box and stared down four pitches to earn a base on balls. Smith then sliced a single up the middle placing runners on both first and second. Indiana then threw a wild pitch into the backstop and both runners moved into scoring position. With two runners on, Johnson stepped to the plate and on a 0-2 count sent a single through the right side to plate Yocke and tie the score at 13, forcing an extra inning.
The Hoosiers were able to tally three runs in the extra frame off of a two-run home run to ignite the inning.
Indiana took the early lead plating a single tally in the top of the first. UK would not respond until a two-run second inning taking the lead 2-1. The Wildcats extended its lead to 3-1 with a run in the third, and that?s when the scoring gates got let open.
Over the course of the next three innings, the two teams combined to score 21 runs. Indiana plated seven runs in the top of the fourth and appeared to be pulling away. Not to be outdone, the Wildcats stormed back with six runs of their own to retake the lead.
Once again, UK did its damage with two outs on the scoreboard. Freshman Meagan Aull reached base on a throwing error by the pitcher, and then senior Audrey Meyer was awarded first on a walk. Both runners advanced an extra base on a wild pitch. Aull scored, with Meyer moving to third and Yocke reaching first on a fielding error by the third baseman. Smith hit an RBI single into center field, followed by a three-run home run off the hot-bat of Johnson. Freshman Sam DeMartine followed suit with the first back-to-back round trippers for the Blue and White of the season sending a solo shot to left-center.
Indiana quickly returned the favor and regained the lead with a five-run fifth inning. Kentucky tacked on three runs in the sixth before the tying run in the seventh. In the sixth frame, Meyer took her second walk of the game. Yocke then belted her second triple of the game into the right-center gap scoring Meyer. Smith plated her second run of the afternoon with a single through the right side. Johnson followed with a single up the gut. Junior Katie McCarty plated the third run of the inning with a single into right field.
Kentucky hit six extra base hits, led by Yocke?s two doubles and the Johnson-DeMartine bombs. Smith and Johnson each tallied four hits in the game with four Wildcats combined to notch at least two hits.
In game one, Kentucky jumped out in front 4-0, scoring runs in the first, second and fourth innings. Smith got things going with a double that dropped into center field. Johnson followed with a double of her own to score Smith giving UK an early 1-0 lead.
UK plated another run in the bottom half of the second frame to move ahead 2-0. Sophomore Destinee Mordecai walked to begin the inning. Aull was struck by a pitch in the back advancing Mordecai to second and putting an additional runner on base. Mordecai scored on Meyer?s single that slid up the middle.
UK then tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Smith struck a two-out single to place the first runner on base. Johnson then notched her second double of the game driving a ball into the left field corner scoring Smith from first base. Yocke drilled a ball right at Indiana?s shortstop who mishandled the ball allowing Johnson to score from second using smart base running and Yocke reached second on the play. The second run would be all as the inning ended on a strikeout.
The Hoosiers answered with a run in both the top of the fifth and sixth innings to pull within 4-2. With UK needing just three outs to register their first win in April, the visitors strung together a three-run third inning to take a 5-2 lead and clinch the game.
Sophomore right-hander Jennifer Young pitched all 15 innings for the Wildcats. The eight-innings of work in the second game is a career-high.
Kentucky returns to action Thursday, when they travel to Starkville, Miss., for a doubleheader with Mississippi State. Complete coverage of the UK softball team can be found by visiting ukathletics.com.
