Baalman, Humes Combine in Circle to Take Opener at No. 5 LSU
BATON ROUGE, La. – The No. 23 Kentucky softball team captured its first top-10 win of the season on Friday night in a 3-2 win at No. 5 LSU. The Kentucky pitching staff of Grace Baalman and Autumn Humes combined to quiet one of the best offenses in the country, limiting the Tigers to just four hits in the game.
Baalman got the win in the circle as she ups her season record to 6-8. Tigers’ starting pitcher Maribeth Gorsuch suffered her first loss of the season, as she fell to 10-1.
The game-winning run crossed the plate in the top of the fifth inning as freshman Kayla Kowalik singled up the middle to score Lauren Johnson from second base with one out.
Saturday’s game has been moved up to a 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT start time due to expected storms in the Baton Rouge area.
Kentucky improves to 26-15 overall on the season and is now two games above .500 in the Southeastern Conference at 9-7. The Tigers are now 34-9 on the season and fall to 11-5 in league play.
Key Stat
Four. Grace Baalman and Autumn Humes combined to allow just four hits on Friday night in the series-opening win.
Key Play
Bailey Vick’s two massive defensive plays were the key plays. She robbed a home run in the bottom of the bottom of the third, and then in the bottom of the second, she threw out a would-be run for the Tigers to end the inning.
Key Player
Kayla Kowalik was the key player for UK, plating the game-winning run on an RBI single up the middle.
Run Recap
Kentucky went ahead 2-0 in the top of the second inning, as Kelsee Henson played Mallory Peyton on an RBI double to the wall in left center. Lauren Johnson then singled through the left side to score Henson as UK took a two-run lead. UK 2, LSU 0
In the bottom of the third, LSU responded with two runs off of a Kentucky error. UK 2, LSU 2
In the top of the fifth, Kentucky went ahead to score the eventual game-winning run. Lauren Johnson walked to lead off the inning and Abbey Cheek was intentionally walked to put two on with one out. Kayla Kowalik then singled up the middle to plate Johnson. FINAL – Kentucky 3, LSU 2
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