Cats Bring the Bats in Game-One Win
The way Kentucky swung the bats in sweeping through the Lexington Regional, it wasn’t supposed to be sustainable. Not against Oregon.
The Duck pitching staff – what with its NCAA-leading 1.06 earned-run average – was just too good. To have a chance at advancing, the Wildcats would have limit Oregon offensively and scratch out a few runs.
It turns out those bats work just fine on the West Coast, even against the NCAA Tournament’s top overall seed.
“It’s nice to see us continue with the momentum we had gained in regionals,” head coach Rachel Lawson said. “They have a great pitcher, but I thought we just did a great job relaxing, getting our pitches and then hitting the ball.”
Using the same simplified approach that fueled an offensive explosion last weekend, UK blasted three home runs and scored the most runs of any Oregon opponent this season…by the fourth inning. The Wildcats claimed game one of a best-of-three super regional in Eugene, Oregon, with a 9-6 victory.
“We’re always the underdog,” Lawson said. “We like that underdog role, so that’s not something that surprises us. When you’re playing the No. 1 team, you’re kind of playing with house money. I think we’re able to stay relaxed, go in there, see our pitches and just take our swings.”
The top of the Kentucky order certainly took its swings on Thursday night, with UK’s 1-4 hitters registering eight of the team’s 10 hits, eight of its nine runs and all nine of its RBI. Thanks to the top of UK’s lineup, the Cats fired the game’s opening salvo in the top of the first inning and quickly showed they had come to play in primetime.
Katie Reed got the first of her three hits on the evening to start the rally with one out before Abbey Reed battled to draw a walk off Oregon ace Megan Kleist, who entered with an earned-run average of 0.92 and shut out UK in super regionals last year. Cleanup hitter Alex Martens knocked both in with a home run to right center. Suddenly, Kleist had given up as many earned runs to UK in the first inning as she had an entire game this season prior to Thursday.
“In the first inning, when I walked, I knew Alex was behind me (and) that she was going to get the job done,” Cheek said. “Passing the bat down to my teammates is really cool.”
The rest of the game, Cheek’s teammates passed the bat down to her. Cheek smacked her 17th and 18th home runs of the season, a three-run shot in the fourth and a two-run homer in the sixth. The first came after Oregon had closed UK’s lead to 4-3, the second after the lead was cut to 7-5.
“I’ve said this over and over, but just buy into the plan,” Cheek said, explaining her success this season. “Doing my process before I go into the box, knowing what pitch I’m sitting and just having a good approach and knowing that my teammates behind me can get it done.”
Cheek didn’t change her approach on Thursday and neither will UK in game two.
“I don’t think that we’re going to change much that we do,” Lawson said. “I don’t want to play around. Here’s the deal: They’re a great team. You don’t want to go in tomorrow thinking, ‘Well, we’ve got one to play with. Let’s see what we can do.’ “
Though they have a 1-0 lead, the Cats aren’t going to play like it.
“I think we have to go at this game like it’s going to be our last game,” Lawson said. “If we go in it any other way, I think we’re going to have our hands full.”
