Martens Notches Pair of Hits in Sunday Loss to No. 6 Tennessee
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Thanks to early home runs from All-American Meagan Gregg and Ashley Morgan, the No. 6 Tennessee Lady Vols claimed the series on Sunday afternoon knocking off the No. 18 Kentucky softball team, 6-0 at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. After UK won Friday’s series opener, UT claimed the series win with victories on Saturday (8-1) and Sunday (6-0).
With the loss, Kentucky falls to 29-17 overall and 6-14 in Southeastern Conference games this season. Tennessee improves to 42-10 overall this season and 11-9 in SEC play this season.
Kentucky will conclude the regular season with a three-game series at John Cropp Stadium against the No. 11 South Carolina Gamecocks. First pitch is 7 p.m. ET on Friday night to open the series. Kentucky will be celebrating its senior class on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET for Senior Day. Sunday will wrap up the regular season at 1 p.m. ET.
Friday night’s game will be shown live on the SEC Network’s “Bases Loaded” coverage – with whiparound action of all six SEC games in progress that night. The game can be seen in its entirety on the SEC Network+, ESPN3 and the ESPN app. Saturday and Sunday’s game are both available on the SEC Network+ with Dave Baker (pxp) and Dorian Craft (color).
Tennessee starting pitcher Caylan Arnold won the game, throwing all seven innings for the second-consecutive game and picking up her second win of the series to move to 21-4 overall. Grace Baalman suffers the loss and falls to 11-7 on the season for Kentucky.
The Wildcats are now 6-14 on the season in conference play with three games remaining. UK, Mississippi State and Missouri are all currently on six wins this season – with Ole Miss on five wins and two games still play this weekend. The top 12 teams in the SEC standings after Sunday’s games will advance to the 2018 SEC Tournament in Columbia, Missouri to take place May 9-12. All games of the SEC Tournament will be shown live on the SEC Network, ESPN2 and the championship game on ESPN.
Key Stat
7. Kentucky did a good job of getting baserunners on in Sunday’s game, but left seven runners on the base paths.
Key Play
Meagan Gregg’s home run in the bottom of the first inning was the key play in the game.
Key Player
Alex Martens was the key player in the game for the Wildcats, accounting for two of the three Kentucky hits in the game.
Run Recap
In the bottom of the first with two outs and nobody on, Meagan Gregg hit her 55th-career home run to straight-away center to give Tennessee first blood in the game. UT 1, UK 0
After Gregg roped a one-out double to the wall in right center, she came around to make it a 2-0 Lady Vol lead and then Ashley Morgan hit a three-run home run to right. UT 5, UK 0
In the bottom off the sixth, CJ McClain led off the inning with a walk and scored on a play at the plate. FINAL – #6 Tennessee 6, #18 Kentucky 0
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