Rethlake Twirls Gem as No. 19 Wildcats Blank Dayton

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky junior pitcher Erin Rethlake was nothing short of sensational in the circle on opening night at John Cropp Stadium as the No. 19 Wildcats blanked the Dayton Flyers to open the 2017 John Cropp Classic on Thursday. 

Rethlake went the distance, throwing seven innings for her second complete game of the season – coming up just two batters shy of a perfect game. She lowered her season ERA to a 0.67, which leads the Wildcat pitching staff through the first 18 games of the 2017 season.

The only run of the game came in the bottom of the third inning, when UK scored an unearned run off a misplay from the Dayton infield, and heads-up baserunning from Sarah Rainwater to score from second on the play. 

With the win, Kentucky won its ninth in a row, a season high. The Wildcats are back in action on Friday for two games as part of five scheduled games at day two of the John Cropp Classic. UK will face Evansville at 10 a.m. ET before a 6 p.m. ET game between the Wildcats and Kent State to cap off the night. 

Three. Erin Rethlake only allowed three runners to reach base all night – with only one runner advancing to second base at any point in the game. 

Dayton’s defense committed an error with one out and Sarah Rainwater standing on second base. The throw by the shortstop was wide of the first-base bag and Rainwater alertly took home to score the game’s only run. 

Erin Rethlake was the key player in the game – pitching a gem in the circle for the Wildcats. 

Sarah Rainwater became UK’s only baserunner in the game at the time with a one-out walk in the third inning. She took second on a stolen base and then scored on a Dayton fielding error. FINAL – No. 19 Kentucky 1, Dayton 0 

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