Bats wake up late as Kentucky rallies past EKU 10-7

Kentucky+pitcher+Kennedy+Sullivan+%288%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 Kennedy Sullivan (8) 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

Aaron Benjamin

Kentucky won its matchup with Eastern Kentucky 10-7 on Wednesday night in comeback fashion, as the Wildcats claimed the in-state matchup. The game was held at Gertrude Hood Field in Richmond, Kentucky to a crowd of 584.  

After a scoreless first inning, the Cats would start the second with a bang. After a Taylor Ebbs single, junior Emmy Blane would send one deep past the fence and put Kentucky up 2-0. For EKU, the second would get going with an RBI double from Lou Bowers, scoring Vianna Barron and cutting the deficit in half.

Ariyana Miranda would then double, scoring another. Two more hits in the inning would plate three additional Colonels as EKU would take a commanding 5-2 lead.  

In the bottom half of the third, a Miranda single would plate one and the scoring would cease in that inning. After a hitless top half from the Cats, EKU got back at it in its ups and gained another run off the bat of Jasmine Miller via the long ball.  

The fifth would see neither team score, which would send Kentucky to the plate with the pressure on. A pair of singles from graduate student Lauren Johnson and junior infielder/pitcher Miranda Stoddard would give the Wildcats a solid start to the inning, providing a viable foundation for producing runs. Those runs would come in the next at-bat with Ebbs hitting a three-run homer to pull within two.  

Eastern Kentucky’s bottom half of the sixth would see the Colonels go 1-2-3 and leave the door open for UK to step through. A Jaci Babbs walk, Rylea Smith fielder’s choice grounder, and Erin Coffel double down the line put Cats on the bases. The scoring commenced when pinch hitter Meeko Harrison hit a single, scoring Smith.

Two at-bats later, Stoddard would launch the ball past the left field wall for a home run, giving Kentucky a 9-7 lead in the last inning. Ebbs and Blane then doubled back-to-back, scoring an additional run to extend the Wildcat lead to three.  

In the bottom of the seventh, the Colonels would go down quietly in a quick 1-2-3 half inning, ending the game. The loss pushes EKU to a 7-32 record while Kentucky improves to 30-11. Taking the loss for the Colonels was pitcher Samantha Reynoso, who now holds a 2-15 record. The winning pitcher for UK was senior Tatum Spangler, who improved her record to a perfect 6-0.  

Up next, Kentucky will return home for a series with the Missouri Tigers. The first game of the series is scheduled to start at noon on Saturday, April 23.