Kentucky outscores opponents 31-4 in Saturdays double header
Kentucky freshman Miranda Stoddard runs to home base after hitting a home run during the game against Marshall on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. Kentucky won 16-15. Photo by Jordan Prather | Staff
February 20, 2021
Kentucky defeated both North Carolina Central (NCC) and Campbell University Saturday afternoon, improving to 7-0 on the young season.
Kentucky’s first game of the double header, against NCC, ended with a decisive 20-1 victory for Kentucky in five innings. The Wildcats held a modest 8-1 lead heading into the fifth inning, but from then on, Kentucky put on a clinic.
12 runs for Kentucky in the fifth resulted in 12 RBI’s for the Wildcats off of six hits and three home runs extended their lead, forcing the early stoppage by mercy rule.
Junior catcher Kayla Kowalik led the way for Kentucky, hitting 3-3 including a home run alongside freshman sensation and current D1Softball National Freshman of the Week, Erin Coffel who went 3-3 hitting along with three RBI’s, two doubles and a home run in the blowout victory.
The second game began as quickly as the first one ended. Kentucky found themselves trailing to Campbell 1-0 early in the first inning – the first time the Wildcats trailed at all this season.
That lead didn’t last long, though, as Kowalik singled with the bases loaded, advancing two Wildcat runners to home base, taking the lead 2-1 in the middle of the second.
Renee Abernathy helped Kentucky extend their lead in the fifth off an RBI single. Later in the sixth, Tatum Spangler brought a fourth run home for Kentucky and by the seventh inning, the Wildcats had the advantage 4-1.
The Wildcats sealed the deal in the seventh after Miranda Stoddard went up to bat for Kentucky, bases loaded and crushed the ball outside of Buies Creek for the grand slam.
The cherry on top of the inning came when Grace Baalman hit her third home run in three games.
Campbell tried to rally back but when it was all said and done, Kentucky extended their lead even further, defeating the Fighting Camels 11-3 and coming out of the double header unscathed.
Kentucky will be back in action tomorrow morning for their third double header in three days, facing North Carolina Central again at 10 a.m. and Mount Saint Mary’s (MD.) directly after.
