Ray, Metzger, Hinz, Cheek All Homer as UK Sweeps Day Two at JCC
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 19 Kentucky softball team got five home runs in two games on Friday, picking up wins over Evansville (4-1) and Drexel (9-1) to move to 3-0 in the John Cropp Classic through two days.
Kentucky has now won a season-high 11 games in a row on the season, and will go for win No. 12 Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET against Kent State. The game will be shown live on the SEC Network+, ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app with a cable subscription.
Saturday’s schedule for day three of the John Cropp Classic has changed – as due to expected colder temperatures – just two games will be played, Michigan will make its JCC debut at 1 p.m. ET against Evansville, which will be followed by Kentucky facing Kent State at 3 p.m. ET.
Kentucky will be looking to tie a program record 12 wins in a row on Saturday afternoon as it goes for its 12th-straight against the Golden Flashes. The last time UK won 12 in a row was Feb. 6-21 of the 2014 season.
GAME ONE – No. 19 Kentucky 4, Evansville 1
Key Stat
Three. Kentucky scored three runs in the fifth inning – as the fifth inning is proving to be a sweetspot for the UK offense – having already scored 31 runs in the fifth this season, which is 13 more than any other inning.
Key Play
Brooklin Hinz’s home run in the bottom of the fifth inning broke open the seal on the Kentucky offense and was Hinz’s second HR of the season.
Key Player
Larissa Spellman was the key player in the game, getting the start in the circle for UK with 4.2 innings thrown and only allowing one hit. Meagan Prince came on to get the win – entering the game with the go-ahead run on third with one out in the top of the fifth.
Run Recap
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Brooklin Hinz homered to left field and hit her name on the scoreboard to give UK a 1-0 lead. After a Sarah Rainwater single and another by Katie Reed – Alex Martens plated both of them with a two-out single. UK 3, UE 0
Kentucky would add on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning as Brooklin Hinz doubled with one out and came around to score on an RBI single by Rainwater. UK 4, UE 0
Evansville scored its only run of the game in the top of the seventh inning off a baserunner that reached on a dropped-third strike and came around to score on an RBI single. FINAL – No. 19 Kentucky 4, Evansville 1
GAME TWO – No. 19 Kentucky 9, Drexel 1
Key Stat
Four. Kentucky hit four home runs in the game – with two coming from junior Rachael Metzger, and one each from Abbey Cheek and Breanne Ray.
Key Play
Abbey Cheek’s three-run homer in the top of the fifth inning broke open the game and gave UK a four-run lead.
Key Player
Rachael Metzger was the key player in Friday night’s game, homering twice in a single game for the first time in her career. She now has four HR on the season – after entering the 2017 season with two total in her career.
Run Recap
Metzger got the UK offense going in the bottom of the fourth inning – homering with Breanne Ray aboard to give UK a 2-0 lead at the time. UK 2, DRE 0
After a lead-off single, the Dragons scored on a fielder’s choice that came home unsuccessfully to pull within one run. UK 2, DRE 1
Kentucky scored five runs in the top of the fifth inning. Erin Rethlake – who went 4-for-4 in the game – singled with one out and Alex Martens followed to put two on with one out for Abbey Cheek, who homered to the opposite (right) field and put UK up, 5-2. Then Brooklin Hinz singled up the middle and came around to score on Metzger’s second HR of the day. UK 7, DRE 1
Alex Martens scored UK’s eighth run on a Drexel throwing error in the sixth inning – and Breanne Ray hit her first home run of the season in the seventh to seal the win for UK. FINAL – No. 19 Kentucky 9, Drexel 1
For the latest on the Kentucky softball team, follow @UKSoftball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.
