Kentucky Softball sweeps Ole Miss doubleheader behind superb pitching

After letting game one against Ole Miss slip on Friday night, No. 8 Kentucky Softball (27-9, 8-4 SEC) bounced back with a doubleheader sweep on Sunday afternoon, flying past the Rebels with 6-2 and 8-2 victories.

Back-to-back lights-out pitching performances kept the Ole Miss (29-11, 5-7 SEC) bats at bay while UK notched 18 hits combined. The wins earned the ‘Cats their third consecutive SEC series after dropping two of three to Alabama in mid-March.

Eight Wildcats notched one or more RBI on Sunday while hitting four home runs as a team.

Game one: Schoonover deals as Cats win 6-2

Stephanie Schoonover propelled Kentucky to a 6-2 win in game one of the doubleheader, as the sophomore hurled 6.1 innings of four-hit, two-run softball. She struck out six on Sunday, tying her second-highest punch-out total of the season.

The outing is the second-longest of the campaign for the Dothan, AL native. She tossed a complete-game shutout in her first outing of the season on Feb. 11 against Michigan State. In all 12 of her outings, Schoonover has allowed four hits or less. The win improves her record to 4-2 on the year while her ERA stands at 3.78.

Taylor Ebbs put the ‘Cats ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the third, as the freshman walloped a solo home run to left field. The blast was her fourth of the season and her first since a March 5 win over Kent State. Second baseman Emmy Blane followed suit just two batters later, hitting her second homer of the season to double the UK lead to 2-0.

Just one inning later, center fielder Renee Abernathy belted a solo four-bagger of her own, extending her hitting streak to 10 games. The Wildcats would go on to do the rest of their damage in the fourth, tacking on three more runs.

With two runners on, Ebbs singled through the right side to score Lauren Johnson for her second RBI of the game. Kennedy Sullivan got in on the action next, roping a double down the left-field line that brought home Miranda Stoddard while pushing Ebbs to third. Blane capped off the inning with an RBI single of her own on a 3-2 pitch.

The Rebels would finally get to Schoonover in the seventh inning, collecting a pair of doubles that would eventually result in two runs. Sullivan recorded the final two outs as the ‘Cats evened the series at one with game three right around the corner.

Game two: Lacatena stifles Rebels as UK wins 8-2 for sweep

Alexia Lacatena did her best to one-up Schoonover in the back-half of the doubleheader, as the freshman threw her first complete game of the season in Kentucky’s 8-2 victory.

In 117 pitches, Lacatena allowed seven hits and two runs while striking out four Rebels. The stellar outing improves the Olympian’s record to 7-2 while lowering her ERA down to 2.84.

Kentucky wasted no time gaining the lead in game two, as Erin Coffel doubled home Kayla Kowalik in the bottom of the first inning. Meeko Harrison made it 2-0 just an inning later, as she singled home Stoddard on the second pitch of the at-bat.

The Rebels managed to cut the lead in the top of the third, as third baseman Paige Smith hit a sac fly with the bases loaded, scoring Angelina DeLeon. UK would quickly answer in the bottom half. After Coffel reached base and Abernathy extended her hitting streak to 11 games, Johnson cranked a triple to right-center field, scoring both runners.

Harrison then added her second RBI single of the game, putting the Cats ahead 5-1 after three.

In the bottom of the fifth, Kowalik smashed a 1-0 pitch over the wall for a three-run shot, extending the Wildcat lead to seven runs. The long ball is just the third of the season for the star catcher. She finished the game with two hits, a welcomed sight for head coach Rachel Lawson, as Kowalik tallied just two hits over her previous five games.

Lacatena allowed an RBI double in the seventh, but eventually shut the door on the Rebels, giving Kentucky its third consecutive SEC series win.

Up next for the ‘Cats is a rescheduled matchup against rival Louisville, before UK heads down to Fayetteville for a three-game set against the Razorbacks. First pitch against the Cardinals is set for Tuesday, April 12 at 6 p.m. EST inside Ulmer Stadium.