Prince Throws No. 17 UK to First Win at Georgia Since 2007

ATHENS, Ga. – Senior pitcher Meagan Prince threw a complete game four-hitter, helping guide the No. 17 Kentucky softball team to a 2-1 win at No. 16 Georgia on Saturday afternoon, the first win in Athens for UK since 2007. 

With Saturday’s result, the Wildcats vault to the top of the Southeastern Conference standings with a perfect record in the league, and UK improves to 19-4 overall. The win is Kentucky’s 14th in a row, adding on to the school record that was set last weekend against Michigan at the John Cropp Classic. 

Meagan Prince got the win in the circle for UK, going the distance on four hits and one earned run. She earned her eighth win of the year to move to 8-2 on the season and struck out nine batters in the game, including Cortni and Sydni Emanuel back-to-back to end the game with the tying run in scoring position. 

The three-game set will continue on Sunday night at 7 p.m. ET from Jack Turner Stadium in Athens. The game will be shown live on the SEC Network, ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app with Mark Neely and Women’s College World Series analysts Michele Smith and Amanda Scarbrough on the call. 

Two. That was the number of the game for the Wildcats. Erin Rethlake had two singles and both runs scored. Katie Reed had two sacrifice flies to move Rethlake up a base, and Abbey Cheek had two SAC flies – both coming with RBI’s. 

With the tying run in scoring position and one out – Meagan Prince struck out the Emanuel sisters, Cortni and Sydni to end the game. The Emanuel sisters are arguably the toughest 1-2 punch in the SEC and Prince got them both swinging to end the game.

Erin Rethlake was the key player, as she scored both of UK’s runs – both by great baserunning and getting with singles. 

Rethlake led off the game with a single, and stole second base. She then got to third on a Katie Reed Sac bunt – and scored on an Abbey Cheek sacrifice fly to left field. UK 1, UGA 0

Rethlake led off the third inning with a single and then took two bases on a Reed sacrifice bunt. Standing on third – Cheek brought home Rethlake with a hard-hit RBI to deep center. UK 2, UGA 0

The Bulldogs got a run off of a UK throwing error in the bottom of the fourth inning – but Prince closed the door to end the game. FINAL – No. 17 Kentucky 2, No. 16 Georgia 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.