No. 24 Kentucky softball (30-21, 8-16 SEC) was swept by No. 3 Tennessee (40-9, 19-5 SEC) over the weekend of May 2-4 in Knoxville, Tennessee, concluding the regular season.
The first game started out going back-and-forth, beginning with Kentucky scoring a run on a single by senior Erin Coffel in the top of the third.
The Lady Vols scored three runs on two singles in the bottom of the fourth to take a two-run lead, which Kentucky matched in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer by sophomore Lauryn Borzilleri.
It was all Tennessee after that, though, as the Lady Vols hit two home runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to clinch the 8-3 victory.
Senior Stephanie Schoonover and junior Alexia Lacatena split pitching duties for Kentucky during the game and combined for seven walks and five strikeouts, with the loss going on Schoonover’s record.
Friday’s game began similarly as the Wildcats struck first, this time on a three-run shot by freshman Ally Hutchins in the top of the third.
Tennessee hit two RBI singles in the bottom half of that inning to cut into the lead and then ultimately took the lead in the bottom of the fourth with a three-run homer and a bases-loaded walk.
The Lady Vols added two insurance runs in the sixth with another long ball.
Fifth-year senior Jaden Vickers and freshman Sydney Langdon both saw time in the circle for the Cats, with the 8-3 loss going on the Vickers’ record.
Also in the second game, Wildcat freshman Camryn Lookadoo saw action in a conference game for the first time in her career and turned a double play at second base.
Scoring began earlier in the final game of the series as Tennessee scored twice, once on a solo shot and once on a RBI single.
Kentucky responded very quickly, tying the score with a two-run shot by freshman Peyton Plotts.
Tennessee reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the second and scored three more runs in the fourth, giving it a 7-2 lead going into the fifth.
That was when Kentucky’s biggest inning of the series took place, as Hutchins and senior Erica Thulen each hit a two-run homer.
Thulen’s home run was the first of her career and it was a very timely one as it put the Cats within one run of tying the score.
A wild pitch in the top of the sixth with two outs allowed Kentucky fifth-year senior Rylea Smith to cross the plate to tie the game and eventually send it into extras.
After Kentucky went three-up, three-down in the top of the eighth, the Lady Vols hit a walk-off solo homer to win the game 8-7 and complete the series sweep.
Schoonover, Vickers and Lacatena all spent time in the circle during the game and the loss was credited to Lacatena.
With the regular season having concluded, Kentucky will begin play in the first round of the SEC Softball Tournament against Ole Miss on Tuesday, May 7, at 7 p.m. ET at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Alabama.
