By Tyler Spanyer | @KernelSpanyer

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After the most historic weekend in UK softball history, the No. 18 Cats were back in action as they traveled to Middle Tennessee State for a mid-week double header.

In the first game of the day, UK got off to a good start getting an early run thanks to an RBI single by senior Alice O’Brien after freshman Maisie Steed drew a lead-off walk.

Despite the early lead, UK junior pitcher Ellen Weaver started a little rocky. After a HBP, a single and a walk, MTSU loaded the bases with two outs in the first, but Weaver was able to get out of the jam by forcing a groundout to herself to end the threat.

In the third inning, junior Lauren Cumbess extended her career-best 10-game hitting streak with a single. After extending her hit-streak, Cumbess came in to pitch for Weaver, and pitched a quick 1-2-3 inning to keep the Blue Raiders scoreless.

UK would tack on another run in the fourth before MTSU would get on the board to cut the score to 2-1. In the seventh, both team’s bats exploded as UK scored five runs to make the score 7-1. In the bottom of the frame, MTSU scored three runs to make it 7-4 before Cumbess struck out back-to-back Blue Raiders to end the game and seal the win for the Cats.

In game two, freshman pitcher Katie Henderson took the mound for the Cats. In the bottom of the first, Cumbess extended her hitting streak to 11 games with her two-out double. Despite the early hit by Cumbess, MTSU grabbed the lead going up 1-0 on two-out double of their own.

Joiner responded in the second with her ninth home run of the year to even the score at 1-1. Carroll then followed Joiner by hitting a two-run blast to give UK the 3-1 lead.

From there the Cats would never look back as they would bat around in the inning, scoring five runs to take the commanding 6-1 lead heading into the third.

In the next inning, UK would score five more runs to go up 11-1 heading to the fourth. Freshman infielder Ansley Smith would hit two two-run homers as UK would go on to win 13-1 in a five inning game.

UK will next hit the road as they head to Arkansas this weekend for a SEC showdown.