Delani Sullivan Cranks First-Career Homer in Doubleheader Split
ATLANTA, Ga. – The No. 24 Kentucky Softball team split a pair of games to open the I-75 Challenge on Friday, run-ruling the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 10-0 in five innings and dropping a tight 3-1 affair to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.
In the top of the fourth inning, sophomore Delani Sullivan hit her first-career home run on a bomb out to right center to push the Kentucky lead to 5-0 at the time. It was the first home run of the game and only homer of the day for the Wildcats, as UK plated 10 runs in the game thanks to five hits and four Yellow Jacket errors.
Pitcher Alexia Lacatena pitched her second complete-game shutout of the season Friday as she went the distance of 5.0 innings with only four hits allowed and four strikeouts, a new season high for the senior from Stanhope, New Jersey. Lacatena is now UK’s winningest pitcher on the season with a 3-1 record in the circle and did not allow a walk all game or any GT baserunner to reach third base the entire contest. She threw 65 pitches in the game and 46 of them were recorded as strikes.
In the first game, Kentucky’s offense held to just five hits and one run as Coastal’s Nicolette Picone pitched a complete-game shutout. The Wildcats struggled in key situations for the game, going 1-11 with runners in scoring position as a team and 0-7 with two outs. CCU hit two home runs in the game, accounting for all of its scoring as the Chants hit a bomb in the bottom of the second inning and a two-run, game-winning shot in the bottom of the fifth to in the game, 3-1.
UK is now 7-5 on the season with the 1-1 day.
Day two of the I-75 challenge is Saturday with Kentucky playing a pair of games beginning at Noon ET. Kentucky will play Memphis at Noon ET before a 3:30 p.m. ET showdown against the host Yellow Jackets in a rematch of Friday’s game live on ACC Network Extra.
GAME 1 – COASTAL CAROLINA 3, KENTUCKY 1
Key Play
The key play in the game was a go-ahead two-run home run with two outs by Coastal Carolina’s Kierstin Rose in the bottom of the fifth inning. That play took the Chanticleers lead to 3-1 after UK had tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning.
Key Player
The key player for Kentucky in the game was Sydney Langdon who got the start for the Wildcats with one earned run on five hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Super Stat
Kentucky had a tough time on offense cashing in on its opportunities as the Wildcats for the game went 1-11 with runners on base, 0-7 with two outs and 0-9 with runners in scoring position.
Run Recap
CCU hit a home run in the bottom of the second inning with two outs off the bat of Maddy Jennings to take the early lead. CCU 1, UK 0
In the top of the fourth, Kentucky got a lead-off triple from Allie Blum, but after she was recorded out on the basepaths, Karissa Hamilton got to third base and scored on a wild pitch with one out to tie the game. UK 1, CCU 1
In the bottom of the fifth, Coastal took the lead for good on a two-out two-run home run to left field to score a pair and hand the Chants the lead. FINAL – Coastal Carolina 3, Kentucky 1
GAME 2 – KENTUCKY 10, GEORGIA TECH 0 (F/5)
Key Play
Peyton Plotts roped a ball into left to score three runs with two outs and the bases loaded that went off the left fielder’s glove as Kentucky’s lead in the top of the third inning ballooned to 4-0.
Key Player
Peyton Plotts scored two runs in the game for Kentucky and had a strong offensive outing, reaching on two GT errors.
Super Stat
Nine different players scored Kentucky’s 10 runs in the game. The 10 runs scored by the Wildcats marks the largest run differential against an ACC opponent since 2019 when UK beat Virginia Tech 11-1 in the NCAA Lexington Regional Final.
Run Recap
In the top of the third, Kentucky scored four times as Peyton Plotts hit a ball off the GT left fielder’s glove with the bases loaded and two outs, plus another Georgia Tech error plated Plotts on a groundball through the left side. UK 4, GT 0
Delani Sullivan hit her first-career homer to right center in the top of the fourth inning. UK 5, GT 0
Kentucky took advantage of two more Yellow Jacket errors in the visiting half of the fifth inning, striking for five runs on just two hits as Lauryn Borzilleri tattooed a double to score Plotts and Karissa Hamilton notched an RBI single through the left side to plate Hallie Mitchell. Kentucky’s defense locked down the end of the game with a double play in the bottom of the fifth and Lacatena got a strikeout to end the game, her fourth of the contest. FINAL/5 – Kentucky 10, Georgia Tech 0
The Kentucky Softball Designated Players Club
The Designated Players is the Official Booster Program of Kentucky Softball. Financial contributions and community support through The Designated Players program, Kentucky Softball will be able to continue to develop our student-athletes on and off the field. To join The Designated Players, you can join online or click here to download the membership form and mail to the address listed. For more information, email Kristine Himes at kentuckysoftball@uky.edu or Larry Cash at Larry.Cash@uky.edu.
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