March 18, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Three Kentucky softball players went yard in a five-inning loss to UAB in the final game of the UK Invitational on Sunday afternoon. Seniors Erika Silence, Rachel Riley and sophomore Krystal Smith all blasted a homer for the Blue and White.
UK will travel to Western Kentucky for a mid-week battle on Wed., March 21 with a 7 p.m. ET first pitch.
In the top of the first, UK charted three runs to take the early lead. Junior Kara Dill led off the game with a four-pitch walk, which was followed by senior Brittany Cervantes reaching on an error on a sac bunt attempt. The runners quickly advanced to second and third on a double steal. Dill was brought home to score the Wildcats first run on a sacrifice fly to left from the bat of sophomore Ginny Carroll. Sophomore Lauren Cumbess plated two-RBI with a single up the middle to bring home Cervantes and freshman Griffin Joiner.
In the bottom of the first, the Blazers totaled four runs in the frame on four hits to take a 4-3 advantage.
To lead off the top of the second frame, Smith belted her second home run of the year to left center, and crossed the plate for the fifth time this season to tie the game back up at 4-4. Cervantes blistered a ball to left field for a stand-up double with two outs in the inning and came around to score on a deep home run by Riley to give the Wildcats the 6-4 lead in a back-and-forth battle.
The Blazers responded with four more runs in the home half of the second to recapture a lead it would never relinquish.
Silence smacked a solo shot to lead off the top of the fifth for the game’s final tally.
With the loss Kentucky falls to 12-15 on the season and UAB improves to 16-10 on the young season. UAB hit five home runs en route to a 20-7 win in five innings of play.
For continuing coverage of the 2012 UK softball season, log on to UKathletics.com.
