Kentucky Opens John Cropp Stadium Season With DH Sweep
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Softball team led by powerful pitching of Sarah Haendiges and Hailey Nutter used its core stableholds of pitching and defense to beat Michigan State 10-2 in five innings and Dayton 5-1 on its home opening day of the 2026 season at the John Cropp Classic.
Junior slugger Peyton Plotts powered two home runs Friday, one in each game with Allie Blum also launching a solo blast in the opening day of the day as the Wildcats offense left the yard three times on the afternoon en route to 15 runs scoring for Kentucky on the day.
Kentucky with the pair of wins has now won eight games in a row, a new season-high streak. UK was the only team to finish the day 2-0 at the John Cropp Classic with Murray State finishing 1-0, Dayton 0-1 and Michigan State 0-2. The tournament continues on Saturday with four games at 10 a.m. ET, 12:30 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. ET and 5:30 p.m. ET. The 3 p.m. ET game and 5:30 p.m. ET games will feature UK as it follows the same schedule it did Friday, facing the Spartans at 3 and Flyers at 5:30 p.m.
GAME 1 – KENTUCKY 10, MICHIGAN STATE 2 (F/6)
Run Recap
Michigan State scored first on a Kentucky error in the top of the first inning, the only error committed by UK all afternoon. MSU 1, UK 0
Peyton Plotts hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first and then Ella Emmert walked with the bases loaded and Maddy Clark grounded into an RBI groundout on the right side. UK 4, MSU 1
In the bottom of the second, Allie Blum hit a solo homer, her fourth of the season. UK 5, MSU 1
In the bottom of the third, Peyton Plotts took an angle ball down up the middle to score two runs and a third crossed as Maddy Anson reached on a fielder’s choice. UK 8, MSU 1
MSU added a run in the sixth on a double. UK 8, MSU 2
In the bottom of the sixth, Carly Sleeman walked to start the inning and Emmert doubled to left center to score her. Emory Donaldson then walked off the game with a single. FINAL – Kentucky 10, Michigan St. 2 (6 innings)
Key Player
McKenzie Oslanzi was the key player in the game, throwing the final inning of play with no runs, hits or base runners reaching and a pair of strikeouts.
Key Moment
Peyton Plotts’ two-Rbi single up the middle in the bottom of the third inning was the key play, that brought UK’s lead to 6-1.
Key Stat
- UK scored four first-inning runs.
Pitching Recap
Sarah Haendiges threw the opening five innings of play, allowing only one earned run on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Oslanzi entered in the top of the sixth to close the door shut on the Spartans.
GAME 2 – KENTUCKY 5, DAYTON 1
Run Recap
The first two UD players reached in the game with a single and an RBI double to left field to score the Flyers only run. UD 1, UK 0
Peyton Plotts tied the game on a 3-2 pitch in the bottom of the first that went over the berm for her second home run of the day. UK 1, UD 1
In the bottom of the fifth, Ella Emmert led off the inning with a lead-off walk and Emory Donaldson reached on an error to put two on with no outs. Carly Sleeman then hammered a double down the left-field line to score the go-ahead run and Maddy Clark’s double tacked on a fourth. UK 4. UD 1
Kentucky played add-on in the sixth as Abby Hammond reached on an error to start the inning and pinch runner Katie Hirschy scored on a Dayton error. FINAL – Kentucky 5, Dayton 1
Key Player
Ella Emmert was the key player in the game scoring the go-ahead run after drawing a lead-off walk on a nine-pitch at bat to begin the bottom of the fifth inning.
Key Moment
Carly Sleeman’s RBI double down the left-field line was the key moment as it scored the game-winning run as the pinch hit appearance worked to perfection.
Key Stat
68/108. Sixty eight of Hailey Nutter’s 108 pitches were recorded as strikes.
Pitching Recap
Hailey Nutter moved to 7-1 with a complete game win in the circle. Nutter walked only two batters and struck out four on the night, only allowing three Flyer hits.
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