Kentucky softball (7-4) picked up a 4-2 win over Murray State (4-6) after Allie Blum’s 3-RBI go-ahead double in the sixth inning.
After beginning the season with 10 games on the west coast, the Wildcats have made it back east of the Mississippi River.
Kentucky’s trip to Murray was its first since 2015. It’s the fifth all-time meeting between the Cats and Racers. Kentucky has won all five meetings, holding +21 run differential in the series.
In a relatively low scoring game, both teams squandered plenty of scoring opportunities. Kentucky left nine runners on-base, three of which were stranded in scoring position. Murray State left six runners on-base, also leaving three in scoring position.
The Wildcats entered the sixth inning facing a 2-1 deficit against an opponent that had never beat them before. Kentucky had left seven runners stranded in the first five innings.
That changed in the sixth inning when the Cats took a lead that would stand for the remainder of the game.
It began when Madyson Clark led off the inning with a bunt single. After the Racers struggled to field Clark’s bunt, the Cats kept with it.
Ella Emmert stepped up to the plate next, laying down a bunt of her own. Emmert’s bunt ended up as a sacrifice, advancing Clark to second as she was thrown out at first.
Murray State switched pitchers after Alexa Riddell walked on four pitches. Raylee Roby entered from the bullpen, inheriting runners on first and second with one out.
Roby has been a wildcard for the Racers this season. In her first and third appearance this season, she tossed a combined 7 scoreless innings in which she allowed just three hits. In her second and fourth appearance of the season, Roby surrendered six earned runs in 2 innings.
Unfortunately for the Racers, this would be one of Roby’s struggle outings.
Abby Hammond, Roby’s first batter, worked a full count walk to load the bases after falling behind 2-2.
Emory Donaldson was next to the plate, Donaldson struck out swinging to record the Wildcats second out of the inning.
Kentucky trailed by one run with just four outs to play with. The Wildcats covered all three bases with two outs in the inning when Blum stepped up to the plate.
Of all Wildcats in the lineup to be tasked with such a high leverage at bat, Blum was likely the best option. As a freshman, Blum ranked second on the team with 38 RBIs in 2025. She was the only player with more than 25 RBIs last season that Kentucky returned to its lineup in 2026.
Blum’s bat didn’t leave her shoulder as she watched the first three pitches of her at bat miss the strike zone.
It was obvious that Roby didn’t want to challenge Blum with bases loaded, but she was left with no choice after falling to a 3-0 count.
Blum watched the 3-0 pitch pass, a fastball on the outside part of the plate called for a strike.
The next pitch was another fastball on the outer edge, Roby was awarded a strike to fill the count.
Roby came back inside with the seventh pitch of the at bat, coaxing Blum into taking her first swing of the at bat. The result was a groundball down the third base line that fell in foul territory.
Blum took a hack at the next pitch as well, fouling it straight back into the backstop.
After a nine-pitch battle in the most important at bat of the game, it was Blum who triumphed as she belted a pitch down the middle into left-center field, two-hopping the wall.
Clark, Riddell and Hammond all came across to score as Blum coasted into second with a stand-up double, giving the Wildcats a 4-2 lead.
Hailey Nutter was the pitcher tasked with protecting the Wildcats two-run lead. Nutter took the mound in the fourth inning, before surrendering the go-ahead run in the fifth inning.
Like Blum before her, Nutter was likely the best person for the job. She has been lights out for the Wildcats this season.
Nutter earned the win after allowing one run on three hits with five punchouts in 4 innings.
This was Nutter’s fourth win in six appearances, the rest of the Wildcats staff has three wins combined.
Nutter also brought her strikeout total to 29, accounting for nearly half of Kentucky’s 59 team strikeouts.
She walked two batters in the sixth inning, but both runners were stranded as Nutter handled the rest of the batters.
The seventh inning also fell to Nutter, the lead was still two runs after the Cats failed to plate any runs in the top of the seventh.
Nutter took care of business, striking out the side to secure the victory.
Blum’s standout game was not limited to her sixth inning double, she also recorded a hit in her first two at bats. Blum ended up 3-3 on the day with three RBIs.
