Anson’s Early Three-Run Bomb Powers Kentucky Past Gophers
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Thanks to an early three-run home run by freshman Maddy Anson in the top of the second inning and another sparkling effort in the circle by freshman Hailey Nutter, the Kentucky Softball team run ruled Minnesota 8-0 in five innings Sunday to complete opening weekend at the 2026 Aztec Season Kick-Off.
The Wildcats outhit the Gophers 9-2 in the game as freshman Hailey Nutter, who threw a no-hitter Saturday, went the opening 3.2 innings today without allowing a run before a ground ball up the middle in the bottom of the fourth resulted in the Golden Gophers first hit. Eight of the nine players in the Kentucky starting lineup recorded a hit in the game and Anson’s home run, a three-run shot, was her first-career longball.
With Sunday’s win, Kentucky improves to 4-1 to start the 2026 season and closes the weekend as the tournament champions of the Aztec Season Kick-Off. San Diego State went 3-1 in the event, Miami (OH) went 4-1, Minnesota went 2-3 and Loyola-Chicago closed out play 0-5 in the tournament.
Kentucky will continue its 11-day west coast road trip to open the season on Tuesday in Santa Barbara as it will plat the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos at UCSB on ESPN+ before continuing the trip up the coast to Palo Alto for a weekend against Stanford, Oregon, Cal St. Fullerton and Cal Poly next weekend.
Run Recap
Alexa Riddel started the scoring off in the top of the second inning thanks to an RBI single through the right side and then Maddy Anson followed that up with a three-run home run to left to break open the game. Emory Donaldson tripled to right center after the homer and scored on an RBI single over the third baseman’s head by Allie Blum. UK 5, MINN 0
Peyton Plotts and Karissa Hamilton led off the third innings with hits and Carly Sleeman singled to bring Plotts home. Hamilton scored on an RBI single the opposite way by Ella Emmert. UK 7, MINN 0
Peyton Plotts singled to lead off the top of the fifth and scored on a sac fly by Carly Sleeman. FINAL – Kentucky 8, Minnesota 0 (F/5)
Key Player
Peyton Plotts was the key player in the game, going 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.
Key Moment
Maddy Anson’s three-run homer in the top of the second was the key play in the game. It was a first-pitch home run deposited over the wall in left field.
Key Stat
10.2 – Hailey Nutter went the first 10.2 innings of her collegiate career without allowing a hit.
Pitching Recap
Nutter threw a complete game in the circle, going 5.0 innings, allowing just two hits, no runners past second base and another shutout. She overcame three UK fielding errors, didn’t walk a single batter and threw 57 of her 79 pitches as strikes. Nutter also struck out eight batters.
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