By Kevin Erpenbeck

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The hole just keeps getting larger for UK softball.

After dropping the first game of the last home series of the year to Georgia on Friday, UK followed it up with a 6-4 loss on Saturday to drop the series to the Bulldogs.

The Cats’ latest defeat is their eighth in the last 10 games.

Georgia starter Brittany Gray held UK off the board for the first five innings of the game, allowing only two hits in that span. Meanwhile, UK left-hander Meagan Prince started out well on the mound as well, holding the Bulldogs scoreless for four innings.

“I thought the pitching on both sides was great,” head coach Rachel Lawson said. “I thought Meagan did a great job. Their pitchers did a great job. That’s why you didn’t see a whole lot of offensive production.”

But everything changed in the fifth when Georgia put together three hits, including a two-RBI double by first baseman Tina Iosefa, to put Prince and UK in the hole. Iosefa’s hit in shallow centerfield was nearly caught by UK’s Sylver Samuel, but the junior centerfielder got a late jump on the ball, causing her to come up empty-handed while sliding in the grass.

Lawson said she was unsure of what happened with the play, but that it’s usually a catch that Samuel makes.

“I’m not sure if she just misread the ball or what happened,” Lawson said. “I’m going to have to (watch it) on video, but she definitely got a late jump on the play.”

Another defensive blunder was made in the sixth when Prince fielded a ball hit right back to her and tried to get an out at second base instead of going for the sure-thing at first. Georgia’s runner, Samantha LaZear, beat Prince’s throw and saved an out for Georgia.

The mistake was just part of a four-run inning for the Bulldogs, seemingly burying the Cats for good.

“I should have made that play,” Prince said of her decision to throw to second. “I’m a lefty. It’s hard for me to turn it and go to two, and I tried it anyway. That play put a run on base. If we would have had that out, things might have been different.”

Prince’s day was over when she was substituted out for freshman Erin Rethlake in the same inning. The left-hander went 5.1 innings while giving up seven hits and five runs.

UK found some offensive life in the next frame when junior third baseman Nikki Sagermann hit an RBI-single to put the Cats on the board. It was soon followed by a three-run blast by Maisie Steed to cut into Georgia’s lead. The home run was Steed’s seventh of the season.

The Cats had a chance to steal the victory with runners on second and third in the seventh inning and senior catcher Griffin Joiner at bat. Joiner had a lengthy battle at the plate, fouling off several two-strike pitches to keep her team alive, but eventually grounded out to shortstop to end the game.

The loss moved UK to 29-19 on the year, now sitting in second-to-last place in the SEC standings with a 5-15 conference record. Lawson, who criticized the team’s lack of toughness and maturity after an 8-0 embarrassment to Louisville, said she likes how her team has responded since then, but that it’s still missing some key aspects of a strong ball club.

“Our biggest issue is that we need to be more consistent in our toughness to the game,” Lawson said. “Defense comes down to toughness, and had our defense played tough today, I think we would have won the game. The ball finds its way past some players who don’t have a lot of confidence right now. It’s important that they find some confidence within them and play with a lot of heart for the remainder of the season.”

UK will try to avoid the sweep when they face Georgia in the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be the Cats’ Senior Day as it’s the last home game of the season. Kara Howard and Joiner are the two seniors on UK’s roster.