By Tyler Spanyer | @KernelSpanyer

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UK softball (28-10, 8-4) came back to defeat C-USA opponent Marshall on Tuesday at the UK Softball Complex.

Junior outfielder Ginny Carroll hit a walk-off double to secure the 4-3 win.

A pitcher’s duel all game long turned into an offensive battle in the last frame as both teams had huge seventh inning outputs.

“I think overall we did a good job today,” UK head coach Rachel Lawson said following the win. “We showed a lot of toughness today and that’s something we have been preaching all year.”

Freshman pitcher Kelsey Nunley picked up win number 18 on the year, bringing her closer to the school record for single-season wins.

“Kelsey pitched really well today,” Lawson said, “Marshall is the best offense in C-USA and for her to keep them down was big for us.”

Nunley went all seven innings, allowing eight hits and two earned runs while striking out four.

No. 19 UK’s offense was stagnant for most of the game, but after a poor defensive performance in the seventh the Cats came alive scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh to win the game.

“It felt great,” Carroll said about her game winning double, “Coach tells me in practice I don’t care if you only get one hit a game as long as you make that one hit count.”

UK got in a jam during the seventh after falling for a base running trick, which allowed a run to score.

The very next play, junior first baseman Lauren Cumbess and junior infielder Krystal Smith had a communication issue and the ball squeaked through the right side allowing another run to score.

Heading to the bottom of the seventh, UK needed two runs to keep the game going, and got a lead-off single from freshman third baseman Nikki Sagermann.

After Sagermann’s lead-off single, a scary moment occurred when Marshall catcher Katalin Lucas was attempting to throw out a runner at second base when she accidentally hit pitcher Andi Williamson in the back of the head.

After a few moments of laying on the ground, Williamson got up and claimed she was fine before continuing to pitch.

UK then reeled off two more hits before Carroll’s walk-off liner to right field ended the game.

Lawson will take her Cats to in-state foe Eastern Kentucky University on Wednesday for a double-header.

First pitch for game one in Richmond is scheduled for 2 p.m.

“Our goal as a program is to be the best in Kentucky, and that includes going through Western and Eastern so tomorrow’s game is important.”