Softball drops series finale to No. 8 Tennessee
April 27, 2014
By Justin Chartrand
A battle between two Top 10 teams drew 4,664 fans to John Cropp Stadium over the weekend, marking the most attendance for a three game series in UK softball history.
Senior pitcher Ellen Renfroe led No. 8 Tennessee (39-9, SEC 14-7) to a series-clinching 9-2 victory on Sunday over No. 9 UK (40-11, SEC 13-8).
The Cats honored six seniors before the game for Senior Day.
Senior outfielder Emily Gaines kicked the game off for the Cats offense with a double off the centerfield wall to drive in two runs, giving UK the early 2-0 lead.
After a hot start in the first inning, Renfroe cooled the Cats’ bats, tossing eight strikeouts in seven innings pitched. She picked up her 25th win of the season.
“(I) just continued to attack the strike zone and trust my stuff,” Renfroe said.
The Volunteers flexed their offensive muscle by driving in five runs in the fifth inning to jump out to a 6-2 lead.
The Cats missed a golden opportunity in the bottom of the fifth inning as the bases were loaded with two outs for Gaines, who struck out swinging as Renfroe tossed her way out of the jam.
“I think that was definitely a huge momentum changer for the game,” Renfroe said. “When you have all eight players behind you talking to you, it just gives you a sense of confidence.”
Errors doomed the Cats on Friday, giving up five unearned runs in a 6-3 Tennessee win.
“On Friday night we had a bunch of errors,” Lawson said Saturday. “I think they maybe would have had two runs if we didn’t have all the errors.”
The Cats tied the series Saturday in front of a crowd of 1,858 at John Cropp Stadium, the second-largest crowd in UK softball history.
“I thought the fan support really did a great job for us, and really probably helped push over the edge in the later innings,” Lawson said.
Despite the Cats success Saturday, the Volunteers offense and the pitching of Renfroe proved to be too much for the Cats on Friday and Saturday.
The Cats do not have time to mourn the senior day loss as they travel to Louisville on Wednesday. UK beat Louisville on April 2.
