UK Softball takes advantage of non-conference play, wins at Indiana
Kentucky Wildcats right fielder Breanne Ray hits a single during the second inning of the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at John Cropp Stadium on Friday, April 7, 2017 in Lexington, KY. Photo by Addison Coffey | Staff.
April 20, 2017
On Wednesday, the No. 20 UK Softball team got a break from SEC play following their 1-2 series loss to Florida by heading to Bloomington to take on the Indiana Hoosiers. They took the game 6-2, to elevate their season record to 27-13.
The Cats can mainly attribute this win to the strong offensive play of right fielder Breanne Ray. Ray totaled three RBI on the game, elevating her total to 10 RBI in only the team’s last five games. She’s now at 23 RBI on the year, as she continues her dominant senior campaign at the plate.
The game didn’t belong to UK until very late, however. Heading into the 6th inning, the Cats had never led in the game, and the Hoosiers were up 2-1.
Unfortunately for Indiana, they wouldn’t score the rest of the game, as the Cats scored five unanswered runs over the next two innings, a scoring run that included two RBI for both Ray and Rachael Metzger, as well as two runs for slugger Abbey Cheek.
The Cats cemented postseason eligibility with their win against Florida on Saturday, but head coach Rachel Lawson has emphasized to her team to continue to win games, so they may be selected to participate in the postseason. Taking care of business against a team outside the dominant SEC and Pac-12 conferences are important to put UK in the best position possible once the season ends.
The Cats will return to SEC play for a weekend series at Missouri, a team sitting right outside the Top 25, on Friday. Both teams have nine losses in conference play, so the series will determine who will remain tied with Ole Miss and Mississippi State for the No. 7 place in the SEC.
