Kentucky Softball falls 6-1 to Virginia Tech; Opens season 4-1
No. 19 Kentucky Softball suffered its first loss of the season on Sunday, losing 6-1 to No. 13 Virginia Tech in the final matchup at the Northern Lights Southern Nights tournament in Leesburg, Florida. The loss brings Kentucky’s record to 4-1 on the young season, while VA Tech finished the tournament a perfect 5-0.
Let’s recap the five-game tournament to see how the ‘Cats performed.
Struggles at the plate against the Hokies
The Wildcats were hardly able to muster any offense against VA Tech’s Keely Rochard, who threw six innings of one-run softball, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out eight batters.
Miranda Stoddard took the loss for UK despite giving up just one run on three hits and a walk in four innings. Stoddard was the winning pitcher in Kentucky’s season-opener against Wisconsin on Thursday.
UK was only able to record multiple hits in an inning once, in the sixth where it scored its only run of the afternoon thanks to a Lauren Johnson RBI triple.
The Hokies would take a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, as shortstop Kelsey Bennett singled home Maddy Federico.
Sixth inning implosion
Kentucky’s pitching would implode in the top of the sixth against Virginia Tech, giving up five runs on just two hits. Sophomore pitcher Stephanie Schoonover would surrender a leadoff single and a walk, before making way for Izzy Harrison to take the mound.
Harrison would record zero outs while giving up two walks of her own, allowing for one run to score, calling for head coach Rachel Lawson to make yet another pitching change. Senior Kennedy Sullivan would take over the pitching duties, and subsequently gave up a pinch-hit grand slam to Meredith Slaw, increasing VA Tech’s lead to six.
The big inning would be the kicker for the ‘Cats as they were unable to overcome the large deficit late.
While Kentucky may be leaving Florida with a bit of a sour taste in its mouth after losing the weekend finale, they’ll return home with a 4-1 record, including three wins over Big Ten opponents.
Feb. 10: Stoddard stumps the Badgers
The aforementioned Stoddard threw a complete game in the season-opening 5-2 win against Wisconsin, surrendering two runs on five hits, punching out five Badgers in the process.
After failing to record a hit in the first three innings of the game, UK would score three runs in the fourth, headlined by a two-run double by Renee Abernathy. The ‘Cats would add on two more runs in the sixth, including a triple for Taylor Ebbs, the first collegiate hit of her career.
Eight different Wildcats recorded a hit against Wisconsin in game one of the tournament on Thursday.
Feb. 11: Schoonover’s shutout against Sparty
Kentucky would tack on seven more runs against Michigan State in game one of two on Saturday.
Abernathy added three RBI’s to her early-season tally, tripling home two teammates in the first inning and scoring another on a groundout in the seventh. Star catcher Kayla Kowalik delivered the first RBI of her 2022 campaign against the Spartans, singling home Rylea Smith in the second inning.
Schoonover would toss a complete-game shutout against MSU, giving up just three hits in seven innings, striking out six Spartans along the way. A total of 11 hits paced the Cats to a 2-0 start, as they awaited their second game of the day on Saturday against the Liberty Flames.
Feb. 11, G2: Coffel cranks one late to put out the Flames
Freshman Olympian Alexia Lacatena would toe the slab against Liberty, throwing four innings, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out five. The Flames countered with Karlie Keeney, who threw a complete game, giving up three runs on six hits.
Kentucky found itself tied heading into the bottom of the sixth after LU knotted the game at 1-1 in the top half of the inning. But Preseason All-SEC shortstop Erin Coffel stepped up to the dish and crushed a two-run homer over the left-field fence, breaking the tie late.
Stoddard, who relieved Harrison in the inning prior, closed the door on the Flames in the seventh, propelling the ‘Cats to a 3-0 victory.
Feb. 12: Bats beatdown the Hawkeyes
Kentucky woke the bats up in its final Big Ten matchup of the tournament, drubbing Iowa 11-3.
Seven Wildcats would record an RBI against the Hawkeyes, led by five from the bat of Johnson. The fifth-year left fielder bookended her game with a pair of triples, one of which came in a bases-loaded situation, breaking the game open for UK. Kowalik and Coffel would each tack on a pair of RBI’s, while Sullivan picked up the win on the mound.
Through five games, Johnson leads the ‘Cats at the plate, batting .500, while she and Coffel have each driven in six runs.
Kentucky will now head out west for the 2022 Hillenbrand Invitational, hosted by the Arizona Wildcats. The event will take place from Feb. 18-20 as the ‘Cats will play five more games over a three-day span.
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