Kentucky Survives Northwestern, Advances to Notre Dame

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 14 seeded Kentucky Softball team fell to Notre Dame in five innings Saturday before battling back to down the Northwestern Wildcats 7-2 in an elimination game to advance into Sunday’s NCAA Lexington Regional final at John Cropp Stadium.
 
Kentucky and Notre Dame will square off at Noon ET with Notre Dame needing just one win to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals. The Kentucky Wildcats will need to win the Noon ET game, and the if necessary game at 2:30 p.m. ET vs. Notre Dame to advance.
 
Tickets for the Lexington Regional Final are available on UKathletics.com/tickets. The ESPN Family of Networks will televise or stream both games tomorrow, with individual channel assignments announced Sunday morning.
 
The Irish fell behind 3-0 in the first inning to Kentucky, but miscues in the field cost UK dearly as the Wildcats lost the game 12-3 in five innings in its largest postseason defeat in program history.
 
In the nightcap, Kentucky was much sharper, beating Northwestern out of the Big Ten Conference, 7-2. Mallory Peyton went 2-for-4 in the game with three RBI and a home run. Junior Renee Abernathy went 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI double, and two other hits in the game.
 
Grace Baalman started the game against NU for Kentucky, giving UK quality innings by going four innings, allowing just two runs on four hits in the circle. Autumn Humes closed the game by throwing the final three innings, only giving up one hit and striking out a batter, as well.
 
For the latest on UK Softball, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @UKSoftball.