Miranda Stoddard leads Kentucky Softball to Friday sweep

No. 9 Kentucky Softball is clicking once again. Since losing the opening game of the John Cropp Classic last weekend to No. 19 Michigan, the ‘Cats have won six straight — and they improved their record to 19-2 with two more breezy wins on Friday. Let’s break them down.

Game 1: No. 9 Kentucky 7, Buffalo 0

Originally, Kentucky was scheduled to open the Bluegrass Classic against Valparaiso on Friday before playing a doubleheader on Saturday. But with inclement weather expected, they shifted things around and opened Thursday against Ohio, with a doubleheader Friday and no games on Saturday. They won the opener over the Bobcats in a shootout, 16-8. That set things up for a morning match with Buffalo today that did not disappoint.

The star on the mound in this one was Miranda Stoddard, who tossed a complete-game shutout against the Bulls for her fifth win of the year. Stoddard was brilliant from start to finish, allowing just two hits in seven innings and striking out seven without a single walk.

Offensively, the highlight of the game came in the fifth inning, when Renee Abernathy lofted a pitch deep into center-field that bounced off the top of the wall before coming back into play. While Buffalo struggled to get the ball in, Abernathy circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run, capping a six-run frame. It went down as her fourth longball of the season, and the first inside-the-parker for UK since 2014.

The other high point of the afternoon came an inning later. Buffalo’s Rachel Steffan hit a ball deep to left field that curled into foul territory. No matter, as Lauren Johnson ranged over to make this spectacular, SC-Top-10-worthy snag and end the inning:

Up & Over 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒃! 😳@UKsoftball x #SECSB pic.twitter.com/lUOjRHn8ZC

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) March 11, 2022

Kentucky would go on to close it out with a 7-0 win, carried by Stoddard’s two-hit masterpiece. Kayla Kowalik went 2-4 at the plate with a pair of RBIs, and Taylor Ebbs added an RBI double as one of her two hits. The ‘Cats improved to 5-1 at John Cropp Stadium this season.

Game 2: No. 9 Kentucky 10, Valparaiso 2

The second game of the day for the UK was the last of four hosted at John Cropp Stadium on Friday afternoon. The ‘Cats took on Valparaiso, who had just finished up a 4-1 loss to EKU in the previous game. With the bad weather inching closer by the hour, they did themselves a favor and took care of business quickly, winning 10-2 in five innings.

Sloan Gayan took the mound for Kentucky this time, seeking her third win of the year. Like Stoddard, she delivered. Gayan threw a complete game of her own over the abbreviated five frames, striking out two and allowing just two unearned runs on two hits. If not for a fielding error by Ebbs and a pair of wild pitches that allowed two Beacons to score in the fourth, UK would have had back-to-back shutouts on the day.

On offense, it was Ebbs, Abernathy and Stoddard who got things going early. After a leadoff single by Kowalik, they each recorded an RBI hit to give the ‘Cats a 4-0 lead in the first inning. That margin remained until the third, when Stoddard got hold of another pitch from Valpo’s Caitlyn Kowalski and sent it out deep to center. Two more runs scored on the play, giving UK a 7-2 advantage.

Finally, the decisive blow came in the bottom of the fifth, when Erin Coffel launched a ball deep to center for a home run, giving UK the eight-run margin they needed to call it after five innings. It wasn’t the most conventional of walk-offs, but fun nonetheless!

💥💥💥💥💥

WALK-OFF HOME RUN ERIN COFFEL!!!#WeAreUK x #BeTheStandard pic.twitter.com/ZSbRNeIGoF

— Kentucky Softball (@UKsoftball) March 11, 2022

Gayan improved to 3-0 on the season with the win, thanks in large part to the efforts of Stoddard. Playing third base this time around, the junior went 2-3 at the plate with a career-high five RBIs (just one shy of the single-game record). Throw in a seven-inning shutout on the mound, and that’s not a bad day at all.

With Saturday’s games moved, Kentucky’s next matchup will be on Sunday instead. They’re set to face Buffalo again at 2:30 p.m. to close out the Bluegrass Classic. You can watch on the SEC Network+.