March 21, 2010
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After Kentucky took the series with two victories Saturday, Arkansas prevailed 9-8 in a slug-fest that saw the two teams plate 17 runs on 22 hits while combining for six home runs on the day Sunday at the UK Softball Complex.
Kentucky drops to 19-10 on the season and 4-4 in Southeastern Conference play. Arkansas improves to 18-10 and 3-2 in league play.
Both squads’ bats were electric in today’s contest. Both Molly Johnson and Natalie Smith went 2-for-3 at the dish with a pair of RBI. Johnson hit her eighth home run of the season, while Smith plated a pair of scores in the fourth innings on a single into right field. Brittany Cervantes added another three-run home run for UK, her seventh on the year.
Arkansas struck first with a run in the visitor’s half of the first when the leadoff batter in Jessica Bachkora hit a solo home run for the game’s first run and a 1-0 lead for the Razorbacks.
The Razorbacks added to their lead in the top of the third when Sandra Smith hit a two-run home run to make the score 3-0 in favor of the visitors.
Kentucky tied the score in the home half of the third when Cervantes connected on her third three-run home run in her last five games. Smith reached base with a single and moved to third on Megan Yocke’s single into left-center. Cervantes then knocked them both home with a blast over the left-center field wall to make the score 3-3.
The Razorbacks answered with a run in the fourth. An inning opening single resulted in a runner on second when she moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. A single into centerfield and then a bit of a miscue from the Blue and White allowed the runner to round home and give the lead back to the visitors at 4-3.
The Wildcats stormed back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take its first lead of the game at 6-4. Samantha DeMartine started the rally with a two-out single through the right-side of the infield. Jessica Rose reached base by earning a walk to load the bases. Arkansas then intentionally walked Johnson to load the bases. Smith made the visitors pay with a two-run single into right-center. Yocke then delivered an RBI base hit to make the score 6-4 in favor of UK.
Arkansas plated five runs in the top of the sixth with a pair of home runs to reclaim the lead at 9-6.
Johnson helped the Wildcats get to within one with her eighth home run of the season. The senior blasted a two-run shot over the left field wall to make the score 9-8 through six innings, but UK could not overcome the deficit for its third win of the weekend.
Kentucky will return to action for a mid-week doubleheader at Tennessee on Tuesday. UK visits Knoxville for a 5 p.m. start time.
For the most up-to-date information on the UK softball team please visit UKathletics.com.
