March 14, 2011
BIRIMINGHAM, Ala. – Senior Megan Yocke has been honored as the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week after she batted .556 in leading the Wildcats to a pair of upsets of top-10 ranked Tennessee to begin league play. Yocke’s honor is the first of her career and the second SEC Player of the Week award this season for the Blue and White.
Yocke was masterful in helping guide the Wildcats to the two victories over the Lady Vols. It was the first time Kentucky had taken a series from its border state rival since 2000.
With UK trailing 4-1 going into the bottom of the seventh inning of the rubber-match in the series, Yocke came through for the Wildcats. With two runners aboard and two outs, Yocke smacked a three-run home run to tie the score at four apiece and force extra innings.
UK would win the game 5-4 to win the series with UT for the first time in over 10 years. Yocke reached base four times in that final contest as she added a pair of walks to her two hits. She was intentionally walked in the bottom of the 10th inning to load the bases and set the stage for sophomore Kara Dill’s walk-off single to win the game.
For the series, Yocke batted a team-high .556 and twice had multiple-hit games. Her fifth home run of the year proved to be the difference maker in the series. With the three-run homer, Yocke charted her 102nd career RBI to become just the ninth player in program history to chart 100 or more career RBI. She also totaled more than 30 putouts to become just the third player in school allure to tally 1,000 career put outs.
Yocke is the second player this season to earn SEC Player of the Week for Kentucky. Earlier this season Brittany Cervantes earned the same distinction following a tournament win at the Garnet and Gold Tournament hosted by Florida State in February.
The Wildcats will return to the road for its next two SEC series. UK is set to travel to Fayetteville, Ark., on Wed., March 16 for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. ET. Kentucky will stay on the road and travel to Baton Rouge, La., for a three-game series March 18-20 against LSU.
Complete coverage of the Wildcat softball team all season long can be found at UKathletics.com.
