April 25, 2010
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score | Photo Gallery 
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky stranded 15 runners combined as No. 12 LSU was able to pull out a doubleheader sweep against the Wildcats on Sunday at the UK Softball Complex. The Tigers won the opening tilt by a 9-3 score and the second outing by a 3-1 margin.
Prior to the start of game two, UK honored its five-member 2010 senior class consisting of Molly Johnson, Amber Matousek, Destinee Mordecai, Natalie Smith and Jennifer Young. All five seniors enjoyed terrific outings in the final home games of their careers.
Mordecai blasted her sixth home run of the season for UK’s lone tally in the second game. Young made her first career start in left field and snagged a couple of highlight-reel catches while also drawing a walk in her lone at-bat. Johnson and Smith continued to add to their stellar careers with six hits between the two middle infielders. Matousek went the distance in the second game and tossed one of the more impressive outings of her senior season despite the loss.
For the season Kentucky falls to 29-21 overall and 11-14 in Southeastern Conference action. The Wildcats sit in great position in the standings for a spot in the SEC Tournament, although they have not mathematically clinched a spot in the league’s tournament. UK will take the week off from conference play and return to action two weeks from now with a regular-season concluding series at Ole Miss.
The 12th-ranked Tigers improve to 39-10 and 17-5 in the SEC. The Tigers currently hold a half-game lead over Georgia for the third slot in the SEC standings.
In game two, LSU earned an early lead with a solo home run in the top of the second to make the score 1-0 in favor of the visitors.
Smith singled into right field with an out on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first, but the inning ended on a double play to end the threat.
UK had another opportunity in the home half of the third when Young drew a one-out walk. The senior then stole second to get into scoring position, but consecutive outs ended the stanza with a runner aboard.
LSU added two runs in the top of the fourth with a pair of extra base hits. The Tigers got a base runner on with a double and the run came home on a two-run home run for a 3-0 lead.
Destinee Mordecai drilled her sixth round tripper of the season to make the final 3-1 score through five innings of action. Mordecai continued to add to her career-best season in the power game and she charted her 11th home run of her career.
LSU jumped out in front 2-0 behind a two-run home run from Rachel Mitchell in the opening game of the early morning doubleheader.
The Wildcats were able to get a pair of runners on base and into scoring position in the home half of the stanza, but UK could not push across the runs. Johnson opened the game by reaching first on a beautifully placed bunt. Smith singled to the shortstop and Megan Yocke advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. The inning ended with the runners aboard on two consecutive outs.
UK had a similar situation in the bottom of the third when Johnson and Smith both roped one-out singles into right field. With runners on the corners, the Wildcats suffered consecutive outs to end the inning with LSU still leading 2-0.
LSU added a run in the top of the fourth off of three hits to make the score 3-0 in favor of the visitors.
The visitors added another run in the top of the fifth as the Tigers benefited from a pair of UK miscues and two walks in the inning for the 4-0 advantage.
LSU tacked on four more runs with six hits in the top of the fifth to make the score 8-0 in favor of the Tigers.
Kentucky rallied for three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Yocke hit her sixth home run of the season and just the third home run hit off of Brittney Mack, LSU’s starting hurler. Samantha DeMartine then earned a bag by drawing a walk. A single by Meagan Aull after a lineout put two runners on the base paths. After the second out of the inning, Annie Rowlands earned a walk to load the bases. Freshman Kara Dill plated two runs with a little dribbler that got by the middle infield for the three runs in the frame and making the score 8-3.
The visitors made the final margin with a one run top of the seventh frame for the final 9-3 score.
Kentucky returns to action with a single game at Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday evening. First pitch is set for a 4 p.m. ET start.
Complete coverage of the Wildcat softball team can be found at UKathletics.com.
