April 14, 2010
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A six-run third inning sparked the Kentucky softball team to a non-conference 9-3 victory over visiting Western Kentucky Wednesday afternoon at the UK Softball Complex.
Kentucky (26-16) earns its fourth consecutive victory behind 11 hits and a pair of home runs. Destinee Mordecai and Brittany Cervantes both charted round trippers to lead the bats for the Wildcats.
Sophomore Chanda Bell went the distance in the circle and picked up her 15 th win of the year behind eight strikeouts.
WKU jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with a three-run home run in the opening stanza of the game. After a double and a single placed runners on the corners, the Lady Toppers’ clean-up batter lofted a ball that just fell beyond the left field wall for the game’s first tallies.
Kentucky had an opportunity in the bottom of the second after loading the bases. UK reached on an error and a pair of walks to fill the base paths. The inning ended with all of the runners remaining on the paths with a fly out to right field.
The Hilltoppers placed three runners on in the top of the third. Bell was able to get the final two batters to go down on strikes ending the threat without allowing any more runs across the plate.
Kentucky stormed back in the home half of the third for six runs on five hits to capture a 6-3 advantage. Natalie Smith began the rally when she was able to reach on a throwing error by the shortstop. Megan Yocke was plucked with a pitch to place two runners on base. Samantha DeMartine delivered an RBI single into right-field, and Cervantes brought in Yocke with a single up the middle of the field. Meagan Aull kept the rally going with an RBI double into the left-center gap. Kara Dill was able to place runners on the corners with a chopper to shortstop. Mordecai then delivered a three-run home run over the left field fence for the remaining runs of the inning. It marks the second consecutive game UK’s right fielder has blasted a round tripper as she hit a solo shot in the win over South Carolina on Sunday.
The Blue and White added to its advantage with a run in the bottom of the fourth to give UK a 7-3 edge. Molly Johnson registered her 29 th hit in the last 33 games with a spectacular bunt-single to reach base. Smith moved the runner into scoring position with a ground out to second. Yocke’s well-hit screamer to second base was mishandled and the heads-up base running by Johnson allowed the senior to trot home for the score.
UK continued to add to its lead with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth stanza to take a 9-3 lead. Cervantes led off with a solo home run, the ninth of the season for UK’s sophomore. Aull earned a single up the middle and came home on a stolen base and then an error by the left fielder for the inning’s second run.
Kentucky returns to action with a three-game series at top-five Florida this weekend. UK and the Gators will square off of a pair of games Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Sunday’s matchup begins at noon and will air live on ESPNU.
