Big Inning Haunts Wildcats in 12-2 Loss to No. 4 Texas
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky’s Peyton Plotts hit a two-run home run off of SEC Pitcher of the Year leading contender Teagan Kavan in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut into a 6-0 lead, but the No. 4 Texas Longhorns used a six-run sixth inning to run rule Kentucky 12-2 in six innings in the opening game of the series Friday night at John Cropp Stadium.
Game two is slated for 2 p.m. ET live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app at John Cropp Stadium and will also be Senior Day for Kentucky with its four seniors Sarah Haendiges, Maddy Clark, Ella Emmert and Karissa Hamilton honored prior to the game beginning at 1:40. Tickets are available at UKathletics.com/tickets.
Texas with Friday night’s win moves back into a top-four spot in the SEC standings at 13-6 in league play with a 36-8 overall mark. Kentucky is now an even .500 on the year at 26-26 and sits 1-21 in SEC games this year.
Run Recap
Texas scored in the top of the first on a lead-off error that was plated by an RBI single off the bat of Katie Stewart. TEX 1, UK 0
The Longhorns put up four runs on three hits and were aided by Kentucky’s second error of the night in the second inning as Steward had a two-run double and Viviana Martinez hit a two-run single a few batters later. TEX 5, UK 0
In the top of the third, Texas played add-on with a lead-off walk haunting as Kayden Henry singled in Hannah Wells, who led off the inning. TEX 6, UK 0
Peyton Plotts scored Kentucky’s only two runs of the game on her first home run of SEC play with a bomb to left field that also scored Carly Sleeman, who led off the fourth with a single up the middle as Kentucky’s first baserunner of the game. TEX 6, UK 2
In the top of the sixth, Texas scored six runs on three different Kentucky pitchers with six hits and one UK error to put the run rule in effect. FINAL – Texas 12, Kentucky 2
Key Player
Peyton Plotts was the key player for Kentucky launching a home run off the base of the videoboard in left field in the fourth inning to crawl Kentucky back within four of the Horns.
Key Moment
In the top of the third inning, Ella Emmert and the Kentucky defense executed a first-and-third defensively to get the runner out at home and keep a run off the board for Texas.
Key Stat
- Texas had 17 hits in the game Friday night.
Pitching Recap
Abby Hammond started the game and got through one time in the order only allowing one earned run, but Kentucky found itself down 5-0. McKenzie Oslanzi then entered to throw the next 3.1 innings for UK with three runs scoring off of her and only one of those being earned. Hailey Nutter pitched for UK and Abby Hammond then re-entered to close out the inning and get the final two outs of the sixth.
For the latest on UK Softball, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @UKSoftball.
