Nunley’s Complete Game Shutout Lifts Kentucky Past No. 8 LSU
BATON ROUGE, La. – With two outs in the
top of the seventh inning and the bases loaded in a scoreless game, senior
Sylver Samuel laced a single into centerfield to score the game-winning run as
the No. 15 Kentucky softball team beat the No. 8 LSU Tigers at Tiger Park in
Baton Rouge, La., in front of a national ESPN television audience on Saturday
afternoon.
Kelsey Nunley was magical in the circle for
Kentucky all afternoon, throwing a complete game shutout, allowing just five
hits while walking three and striking out six batters. With the win, Nunley
moves to 14-4 on the season.
Kentucky with the win picks up its 32nd win of
the season to move to 32-8 overall on the year and stays a game and a half out
of first, with a 9-4 Southeastern Conference record – to move into sole
possession of third place between Auburn and Florida.
Carley Hoover suffered a tough-luck loss for
LSU, going seven innings, only allowing one hit and striking out 10 UK batters.
The three-game series continues this weekend
in Baton Rouge on Sunday night at 7 p.m. ET live on the SEC Network. Women’s
College World Series announcing team Adam Amin and Amanda Scarbrough will have
the call from Tiger Park.
Key Stat
One. Kentucky just needed one run to pick up
the win on Saturday afternoon – marking the third time this year the UK has won
a 1-0 game. Kelsey Nunley also picked up a 1-0 win over No. 20 Utah, and Erin
Rethlake and Nunley split a 1-0 win over Marshall earlier in March.
Key Play
Sylver Samuel’s two out single up the middle
was the key play in the game, pushing across the game-winning run in the
seventh.
Key Player
Kelsey Nunley was the key player in the game,
throwing as the senior threw a complete-game shutout.
Run Recap
UK got two all of its seventh inning
baserunners on without a hit, as the Wildcats made things happen in the box in
its last at-bat of the game. After a groundout by Christian Stokes to start the
inning, Brooklin Hinz was hit by a pitch and a walk to Breanne Ray moved the
runners to first and second with one out. Jenny Schaper lined to second base on
a fantastic diving play by second basemen Constance Quinn. Maisie Steed was hit by a pitch as well to
load the bases with two outs.
Samuel then stepped to the plate with two
strikes and roped a single back up the middle into centerfield to score Ansley
Smith, who was pinch running for Hinz – and that was the game-winning run. FINAL
– No. 15 Kentucky 1, No. 8 LSU 0
For the latest on the Kentucky softball team, follow @UKSoftball on Twitter, Instagram
and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.
