UK Softball Takes Series Win Over No. 16 Missouri 2-1
[caption id="attachment_154175" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
Mizzou Softball allowed Kentucky to use their indoor facility on Sunday to get some extra practice time in. Picture via twitter @UKsoftball.[/caption]
The Cats faced No. 16 Missouri in a three-game SEC series over the weekend with Kelsey Nunley in the circle starting game one. The Tigers came out swinging and quickly went up 2-0 in the first inning. Mizzou then doubled their lead after the Cats were unable to produce in the 2nd and 3rd inning. Shannon Smith replaced Kelsey Nunley on the mound in the 4th inning and found herself in a jam that she could not get out of without any harm done, and the Tigers went up 6-0. The Cats were having no trouble reaching base as they found themselves stranding runners, 7 throughout the first 5 innings, but could not bring the runners to round for home. What looked like a rally from the Cats in the 6th inning after a Sagermann single and a double by Gaines to put runners on second and third with no outs came to a quick end after a line-drive caught ball by the third baseman who got the double play, followed by a ground out by Krystal Smith to end the inning. The Tigers didn’t hold off any in the bottom of the 6th, scoring one more run before the Cats finally produced in the 7th inning. However, it was little too late and 6 runs too short and the Tigers took the win 7-2 in game one.
The Cats were scheduled to face the Tigers once on Saturday and once on Sunday but due to inclement weather being expected they faced Mizzou in a double header on Saturday. Kelsey Nunley, with a 7-2 record and 2.15 ERA, started game one on Saturday in the circle for the Cats. The bats were still alive for the Tigers, who produced 2 runs in the bottom of the 2nd. The Cats did not score a run until the 4th inning when Samuel was unintentionally walked, stole second, Ansley Smith reached on a walk, and then Griffin Joiner hit a 2-RBI double, tying the game 2-2. Joiner is currently on 5-game hitting streak after starting the season on an 11-game hitting streak, which is a career best for the catcher. The game remained tied until the 7th inning when Lauren Cumbess hit her third homerun of the season putting the Cats up 3-2. Cumbess leads UK with 8 multi-hit games and is on a 4-game hitting streak. Kentucky was able to hold off the Tigers to claim to victory 3-2 and tied the series 2-2. The Cats are now 8-0 in games where they have hit at least one homerun.
The Cats headed into game three of the series with freshmen pitcher Meagan Prince in the circle, who was 5-1 on the season with a 1.44 ERA. The Cats produced two runs in the 2nd inning after a single by Steed and a homerun by Stokes. Mizzou then cut the lead to 1 in the bottom of the third but Kentucky stretched it back out by 2 after a RBI single by Carroll, who is on a 4-game hitting streak and has a .438 on-base percentage in UK’s last five games. The Wildcats entered the top of the 6th up 4-2 and Sagermann put the Cats up by three more runs after a 3-run homerun. Nikki Sagermann leads UK in SEC play with two homers, six RBI and a .588 slugging percentage. The Tigers went on to push 3 more runs across in the bottom of the 6th, cutting the lead 7-5 and then tied the game in the bottom of the 7th after a 2-run homerun. Pitcher Lauren Cumbess then came in to replace freshman Meagan Prince in the circle to get out of the inning, but then faced the Tigers in extra innings. Samuel started the 8th inning with a hard triple, the first of the year for the Cats, and then went on to score after a RBI single by Ansley Smith. Ansley Smith has reached base safely in 11 straight games for the Cats, which ranks 3rd in the SEC. The Tigers couldn’t rally back in extra innings and the Cats went on to defeat the Mizzou in the 8th inning, 8-2.
Kentucky is now 21-4 on the season and 4-2 in the SEC, which is the first time in school history that UK has won two road series to start SEC play. Kentucky will travel to Indiana to take on the Hoosiers at 5:00pm Tuesday in a non-conference game before returning home for a 15 game home stand starting Friday at John Crop Stadium.
Mizzou Softball allowed Kentucky to use their indoor facility on Sunday to get some extra practice time in. Picture via twitter @UKsoftball.[/caption]
The Cats faced No. 16 Missouri in a three-game SEC series over the weekend with Kelsey Nunley in the circle starting game one. The Tigers came out swinging and quickly went up 2-0 in the first inning. Mizzou then doubled their lead after the Cats were unable to produce in the 2nd and 3rd inning. Shannon Smith replaced Kelsey Nunley on the mound in the 4th inning and found herself in a jam that she could not get out of without any harm done, and the Tigers went up 6-0. The Cats were having no trouble reaching base as they found themselves stranding runners, 7 throughout the first 5 innings, but could not bring the runners to round for home. What looked like a rally from the Cats in the 6th inning after a Sagermann single and a double by Gaines to put runners on second and third with no outs came to a quick end after a line-drive caught ball by the third baseman who got the double play, followed by a ground out by Krystal Smith to end the inning. The Tigers didn’t hold off any in the bottom of the 6th, scoring one more run before the Cats finally produced in the 7th inning. However, it was little too late and 6 runs too short and the Tigers took the win 7-2 in game one.
The Cats were scheduled to face the Tigers once on Saturday and once on Sunday but due to inclement weather being expected they faced Mizzou in a double header on Saturday. Kelsey Nunley, with a 7-2 record and 2.15 ERA, started game one on Saturday in the circle for the Cats. The bats were still alive for the Tigers, who produced 2 runs in the bottom of the 2nd. The Cats did not score a run until the 4th inning when Samuel was unintentionally walked, stole second, Ansley Smith reached on a walk, and then Griffin Joiner hit a 2-RBI double, tying the game 2-2. Joiner is currently on 5-game hitting streak after starting the season on an 11-game hitting streak, which is a career best for the catcher. The game remained tied until the 7th inning when Lauren Cumbess hit her third homerun of the season putting the Cats up 3-2. Cumbess leads UK with 8 multi-hit games and is on a 4-game hitting streak. Kentucky was able to hold off the Tigers to claim to victory 3-2 and tied the series 2-2. The Cats are now 8-0 in games where they have hit at least one homerun.
The Cats headed into game three of the series with freshmen pitcher Meagan Prince in the circle, who was 5-1 on the season with a 1.44 ERA. The Cats produced two runs in the 2nd inning after a single by Steed and a homerun by Stokes. Mizzou then cut the lead to 1 in the bottom of the third but Kentucky stretched it back out by 2 after a RBI single by Carroll, who is on a 4-game hitting streak and has a .438 on-base percentage in UK’s last five games. The Wildcats entered the top of the 6th up 4-2 and Sagermann put the Cats up by three more runs after a 3-run homerun. Nikki Sagermann leads UK in SEC play with two homers, six RBI and a .588 slugging percentage. The Tigers went on to push 3 more runs across in the bottom of the 6th, cutting the lead 7-5 and then tied the game in the bottom of the 7th after a 2-run homerun. Pitcher Lauren Cumbess then came in to replace freshman Meagan Prince in the circle to get out of the inning, but then faced the Tigers in extra innings. Samuel started the 8th inning with a hard triple, the first of the year for the Cats, and then went on to score after a RBI single by Ansley Smith. Ansley Smith has reached base safely in 11 straight games for the Cats, which ranks 3rd in the SEC. The Tigers couldn’t rally back in extra innings and the Cats went on to defeat the Mizzou in the 8th inning, 8-2.
Kentucky is now 21-4 on the season and 4-2 in the SEC, which is the first time in school history that UK has won two road series to start SEC play. Kentucky will travel to Indiana to take on the Hoosiers at 5:00pm Tuesday in a non-conference game before returning home for a 15 game home stand starting Friday at John Crop Stadium.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard