April 18, 2010
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Third-ranked Florida captured the series with a 5-0 victory over Kentucky on Sunday less than 24 hours after UK’s upset of the top team in the Southeastern Conference. Junior Megan Yocke led the Wildcats with a 2-for-4 day at the dish as she charted at least two hits in every game of the three-game set.
With the loss, Kentucky drops to 27-18 overall and an even 11-11 in SEC play. Florida improves to 34-5 overall and 14-5 in SEC action.
Yocke posted the game’s first hit with a single along the left field line with two outs in the top of the first. UK would leave her aboard with an inning ending groundout to third base.
The Gators struck for two runs in the home half of the first to take an early 2-0 advantage they would never relinquish. Florida plated their runs behind three doubles in the inning and a leadoff walk.
Florida added to its lead with a solo home run from Kelsey Horton in the home half of the second to make the score 3-0.
For the second consecutive inning the Gators plated a run off of a leadoff solo home run, this time from Francesca Enea pushing the score to 4-0.
Kentucky had an opportunity in the top of the fourth, but could not convert. Back-to-back singles from senior Natalie Smith and Yocke placed the leadoff runners aboard. Junior Samantha DeMartine earned a walk to load the bases, but UK would leave all three runners aboard after suffering three consecutive outs.
Florida plated another run in the home half of the fourth to make the score 5-0. The inning featured a spectacular double play from freshman Kara Dill at third who had the awareness to tap the third base bag on a force out before calmly tossing it to first to help end an additional scoring threat.
Senior Molly Johnson singled through the left side hole with two outs in the top of the fifth, but Florida robbed Smith of a hit when the shortstop leapt up and snagged a sure-single to end the frame with a runner aboard.
After sitting the Gators down in order, sophomore Brittany Cervantes charted a two-out single up the middle. Meagan Aull roped a well-hit ball into shallow right-field and the Gators’ came up with a quality defensive play to end the inning.
In a last ditch comeback effort, Dill came up with a two-out single that split the left side of the defense. Johnson continued the rally finding the same spot through the gap to keep the inning alive. Smith picked up her second hit of the game when she sliced a ball up the middle to load the bases, but the inning would end on a foul out to third base marking the second time in the game the Wildcats left the bases loaded without scoring a run.
Kentucky hits the field again for its final non-conference home action on Wednesday, April 21. UK will welcome Austin Peay to the UK Softball Complex for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. ET.
Complete coverage of the Wildcat softball team can be found at UKathletics.com.
