No. 11 Kentucky drops senior day game against Mississippi State, losing 6-2

Kentucky+pitcher+Izzy+Harrison+%2842%29+pitches+during+the+UK+vs.+Oklahoma+softball+game+on+Tuesday%2C+March+22%2C+2022%2C+at+John+Cropp+Stadium+in+Lexington%2C+Kentucky.+Oklahoma+won+9-1.+Photo+by+Jack+Weaver+%7C+Staff

Kentucky pitcher Izzy Harrison (42) pitches during the UK vs. Oklahoma softball game on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. Oklahoma won 9-1. Photo by Jack Weaver | Staff

Ian Alvano

UK was unable to fight back from an early deficit to take the series versus Mississippi State on Saturday, losing 6-2 on senior day.

No. 11 Kentucky falls to .500 in conference play with a 32-15 (10-10 SEC) record on the year. All is to play for Sunday afternoon with the weekend series tied at 1-1.  

The Bulldogs put three on the board before Kentucky had an answer early in the game. 

Alexia Lacatena gave up two before being pulled for the Wildcats.  

Brylie St. Clair’s single put the visitors up one in the first, she then stole second in the top of the second and Kiki Edwards scored on a throwing error to put Mississippi State up two early on.  

There was nothing to separate the sides until the fifth inning.  

After Matalasi Faapito but the Bulldogs up 3-0 in the top of the fifth, Kentucky finally had an answer to the Bulldog offense.  

Renee Abernathy’s single scored Vanessa Nesby and Lauren Johnson, and the Cats suddenly found themselves down one.  

In the sixth, the Bulldogs pulled away from Kentucky.  

Mia Davidson hit a blast to center field and St. Clair came around to score. That was not the end of the damage against the Wildcats. Faapito continued to punish Kentucky with an RBI single to center, putting the Bulldogs up 6-2.  

There was no answer for the Cats in the bottom of the sixth or seventh. The loss means Kentucky goes back to a .500 record in conference play.   

The series finale will mark Kentucky’s last regular season home game of the year. After Sunday, UK will travel to Columbia in a three-game series versus South Carolina before the SEC tournament takes place, beginning May 10.