'Old Lady' Humes Leads Cats Past Alabama on Sunday

After falling in the series opener on Saturday, the seventh-ranked Kentucky softball team was in need of a win on Sunday against No. 4 Alabama.

The Cats turned to their veterans in the time of need and those vets delivered as UK topped Alabama 4-2 on Sunday at John Cropp Stadium.

Senior Autumn Humes was fantastic in the circle, holding Alabama to just two runs on six hits, while striking out five. At the plate, Humes got a hit to start a two-run rally in the fourth inning.

UK head coach Rachel Lawson was impressed with her right-hander on Sunday, thinking she continued to improve throughout the game.

“I did and the other thing I loved that she did, as the game went on, is she took control,” Lawson said. “For example, she got a huge strikeout when I called a pitch, she actually called me off and called her own pitch and got a huge strikeout off a great hitter. The ball started moving more and the fact that it was so windy and nothing got hit out of the park was a testament to how well both pitchers did.”

Humes seemed to get stronger as the game went on, something she felt in her performance as well.

“I did and I think a lot of that has to do with the runs that my team put on the board,” Humes said. “It allowed me to free up a bit on the mound and get more comfortable. It’s always easier to throw a good game when your offense helps you.”

After Alabama scored 11 runs on Saturday, Humes was able to keep the Tide off balance in Sunday’s game by doing what she does best.

“Coach Lawson talks a lot about how spin speed trumps pitch speed,” Humes said. “Everybody in the stands knows I’m not going to whip it by anybody but I do my best to try to spin the crap out of the ball as hard as I can. So I think that had a little bit to do with why they weren’t barreling up so much.”

While Humes was doing the job in the circle, fellow senior Mallory Peyton was doing the job at the plate. Peyton drove in Kentucky’s first run, in the first inning, when her ground ball to second base was misplayed by Alabama’s Savannah Woodard. In the third inning, Peyton knocked in Rylea Smith with a sacrifice fly that gave the Cats a 2-0 lead.

Lawson liked what Peyton did on Sunday.

“I thought Mallory was tremendous,” Lawson said. “She put herself in a little bit of a slump there for a few games. What I love about Mallory is she is so incredibly competitive and her will to do well and her will to win surpasses anything else. I was just really happy that she was able to dig in, she was able to swing away and really put in those RBIs and score us some runs.”

Humes thought it was important for the team captains to lead the way in a very important game on Sunday.

“I think energy has a lot to do with the way a team plays,” Humes said. “So I think the captains really stepped up as far as bringing the energy today.”

And if her team needs her in Monday’s series finale, Humes will be ready again.

“I mean, I am an old lady, but I am an old lady in shape,” Humes said. “So if (Lawson) needs me, I’ll be there.”

Humes and Peyton led the way on Sunday as the Cats evened the series with Alabama at a game apiece.