Seniors Lead Kentucky Softball Past South Carolina Friday
The Kentucky softball team is celebrating its seniors on this, the final weekend of the regular season. And on Friday night, all four of the team’s seniors played a part as Kentucky held off South Carolina 4-3.
Senior pitcher Autumn Humes was outstanding through six innings, then fought her way through a tough seventh to finish off the complete game victory. Humes allowed nine hits and three earned runs in the game. Those three runs all came in the seventh. She walked just two and struck out four on her way to earning her 19th win of the season.
UK head coach Rachel Lawson was impressed with Humes on Friday.
“I thought Autumn was great,” Lawson said. “Autumn was outstanding most of the game today.”
But she wasn’t the only senior who contributed.
First baseman Mallory Peyton, who Lawson called “the anchor of our infield”, had the big knock of the night for the Cats. In the third inning, with two runners on base, Peyton doubled to left center, knocking in Kayla Kowalik and Lauren Johnson to extend the UK lead to 4-0.
Johnson, another of the four seniors, was on base twice and scored the second of Kentucky’s three runs in the third inning. Those three runs ended up being the difference in the game. Lawson likes how “L.J.” plays the game.
“LJ is that kind of person in the lineup that doesn’t get a lot of press that’s just steady,” Lawson said. “And LJ’s been doing that all year.”
Senior Grace Baalman made two plate appearances and reached base both times. She singled in the second inning and was pinch-run for by Emmy Blane, who scored Kentucky’s first run later in the inning.
“Grace coming up with a single and Emmy Blane coming home to score was pretty cool.”
Humes did her thing in the circle, not overpowering hitters, just trying to keep them guessing.
“Just trying to do what I can to keep the hitters off balance and let my defense work,” Humes said. “Coming off last weekend and trying to keep that momentum going into senior weekend.”
For Humes, it was special to share this win with a group she has grown to be especially close to over the course of four years.
“When I came in, this is the group I came in with. I was supposed to graduate last year. I decided to stay this additional year and it just feels like this is my senior class because I’ve been with them the last four years. And so we’ve gotten really close and just being able to watch all of the seniors contribute is something very special.”
Lawson knows that this senior class is a very special group.
“I can’t say enough about how much those guys have meant to us all year,” Lawson said. “It’s nice to have them all on the field at the same time right now as we head into the postseason.”
For the UK seniors, their final regular season series at home got off to a good start on Friday night. And all four seniors contributed to the victory.
