LEXINGTON, Ky. ? The University of Kentucky softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader on a windy, cool afternoon at the UK Softball Complex Saturday. The Wildcats and Lady Razorbacks needed nine innings to decide game one, before the visitors pulled out a 6-5 win. Arkansas took game two by the score of 3-0.
To open up play, Arkansas began the day with a run in the top of the first inning in game one. The Lady Backs scored an unearned run after Kayla Johnson reached base on an error. Johnson moved around the base paths on a single and double in the inning, but that was the only damage that was done in the inning. Arkansas added a run in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead.
Kentucky was held scoreless through the first two innings, before the bats came alive in the bottom half of the third. Freshman Annie Rowlands reached base on an infield single, a ball that hung up in the dirt down the first base line. Classmate Meagan Aull followed with a single that split the left side of the defense and moved into left field. Senior Audrey Meyer reached on a fielder?s choice and Aull moved to second, but Rowlands was forced out at third. Freshman Megan Yocke split the left side of the defense again and the speedy Aull rounded the corner to score. Meyer and Yocke each advanced an extra bag during the throw home. A mistake by Arkansas? catcher Jessica Waddle, allowed Meyer to score and Yocke to move to third on a passed ball. Sophomore Natalie Smith found a gap to bring home Yocke for a 3-2 UK lead.
The Blue and White would stretch the lead to two runs with a single score in the bottom of the fifth. Meyer opened the inning to reach base with an error by the third baseman. Yocke laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner into scoring position. Smith grounded out to the first baseman, but it was enough to move Meyer all the way over to third. Sophomore Molly Johnson lifted a ball straight up in the air just yards in front of home plate, and with two outs Meyer ran on the play. Arkansas? third baseman muffed the catch allowing the run to score and Johnson to reach base, giving UK a 4-2 advantage.
Arkansas responded with a run in the top of the sixth off of a solo home run by Sandra Smith to bring the score to 4-3.
Kentucky immediately responded with another run in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-1 edge. Senior Ashley Dimkich was struck in the thigh by a pitch and was awarded first base to lead off the inning for the Blue and White. Freshman Sam DeMartine advanced the runner on a sacrifice bunt. Rowlands moved the runner to third on a deep groundout to the shortstop. Freshman Meagan Aull drilled a ball right at the third baseman who chose to make the play at home where Dimkich was racing home. A bobbled catch and drop by the catcher allowed Dimkich to score and Aull reached on a fielder?s choice. In an attempt to steal second, Aull was called out on a runner left early call ending the inning.
With the Wildcats? up by two scores, Arkansas tallied two runs in the top half of the seventh to tie the score. The Lady Backs scored two runs on three hits, including two doubles.
Miranda Dixon?s RBI single in the top of the ninth inning gave the visitors the win by the final margin 6-5 in extra innings.
In the nightcap, Arkansas got three solo home runs in the third, sixth and seventh innings to take the game. Kentucky got hits from Meyer and Johnson, but the offensive bats never got going in the second contest.
Smith led the team with two hits on the day, as five other Wildcats notched a hit of their own.
Kentucky and Arkansas will meet for the final game of their three game series Sunday at the UK Softball Complex. First pitch will be thrown at 1 p.m. Sunday. Live stats and complete coverage of the game can be found at www.ukathletics.com.
