March 23, 2010
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Three errors doomed the Kentucky softball team in a 7-1 loss to No. 17 Tennessee in the second game of a doubleheader at Lee Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Tuesday evening.
With the loss Kentucky falls to 19-12 overall and 4-6 in the Southeastern Conference. Tennessee improves to 23-7 and 5-3 in the SEC.
Tennessee struck first with a run in the bottom of the first. The Lady Vols posted back-to-back one out singles, and the run scored from first base to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
Johnson drilled a one-out double into the left-center gap and then Natalie Smith was plucked with a pitch to place two runners on base in the top of the third. The inning ended though on a ground-out double play leaving the Wildcats still behind a run.
The Lady Vols added three more runs in the home half of the third to extend its lead to 4-0. Tennessee plated the runs on four singles.
Tennessee increased its lead by two runs to take a 6-0 advantage through four innings. The Lady Vols plated a pair of scores when Kat Dotson hit a two-run double into centerfield.
Freshman Alice O’Brien singled with a well-placed ball into right field with two outs in the top of the fifth. Johnson came up with her second hit of the game when she sliced a ball through the right side and O’Brien stretched the play to third placing runners on the corners. O’Brien was able to tap home when Smith sent a chopper to third that Tennessee’s fielder mishandled giving the Wildcats their first run of the game and make the score 6-1. Megan Yocke then drilled a ball into deep center that fell into the centerfield’s glove who’s back was against the fence as Yocke just missed on a three-run home run.
The Lady Vols went ahead 7-1 with a run in the home half of the sixth. Tennessee scored the final run of the game on a sacrifice fly into left field.
In the top of the seventh, Erika Silence recorded her first hit of the season with a single through the left side.
Kentucky returns to action for a three-game series with top-10 ranked Georgia at the UK Softball Complex. UK and the Bulldogs will square off for a doubleheader on Saturday and a single outing on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. ET both days.
For the most up-to-date information on the UK softball team please visit UKathletics.com.
