No. 15 Kentucky softball defeats Sam Houston State 5-2, improves to 6-1-1
Kentucky Wildcat freshman Erin Coffel (21) prepares to bat during the UK vs. Morehead State game on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, at Cropp Softball Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. UK won 13-1. Photo by Jack Weaver | Staff
February 19, 2023
Kentucky softball defeated Sam Houston State 5-2 in the last game of the weekend, finishing the North Texas Tournament undefeated after the first matchup of the weekend where it fell to UT Arlington 4-2.
Kentucky pitchers threw 11 strikeouts against the Bearkats, wrapping up an impressive performance from the circle on the weekend.
Erin Coffel also highlighted the team offensively against SHSU with one homerun and three RBIs.
In the top of the first Kaya Kowalik started things off with a single up the middle before stealing second. Senior Rylea Smith then made it to second off a bunt, sending Kowalik to third.
The Cats scored their first run of the game off a sacrifice fly from Coffel was caught for an out but was enough to send Kowalik home.
Finishing things off offensively for the Wildcats in the first inning was a hit from Karissa Hamilton that brought Smith home, giving the Cats a 2-0 lead early.
In the bottom of the inning pitcher Alexia Lacatena struck out Kylie Hobbs and Brailey Wasik for the Bearkats to keep SHSU scoreless after one.
Following a scoreless second inning the Cats added to their lead with two outs recorded in the third following a home run hit to right field off the bat of Coffel.
Getting the Bearkats on the board was Ellie Grill, who batted in Tricia Yarotsky to make the score 3-1 after the third.
Then, in the top of the fourth, Kentucky’s Vanessa Nesby was walked by the Bearkats’ Regan Dunn before stealing second.
Junior Grace Lorsung then hit a single and advanced to second after a throwing error by Dunn, sending home Nesby to bring the score to 4-1. Two pop up outs and a strikeout from Lacatena would then finish off the fourth inning.
The fifth inning would see both teams finish scoreless, with Kentucky not scoring again until the seventh.
In the bottom of the sixth inning pitcher Stephanie Schoonover, who threw a Kentucky school record 18 strikeouts the day before, took over for Lacatena.
After walking three batters to load the bases, Schoonover walked a fourth, sending Wasik home to bring the score to 4-2 by the end of the inning.
In the top of seventh Smith advanced to first on a fielder’s choice and again to second after a wild pitch from Dunn to Coffel.
Coffel then hit a single up the middle to bat Smith home, scoring Kentucky’s final run of the game.
With a three-run lead, Schoonover struck out the Bearkats’ first two batters and grounded out Wasik to end the game 5-2.
With the North Texas Tournament in the books, Kentucky will return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 10, when it faces Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles.
The game against LMU is set to begin at 3 p.m. EST and will be a standalone matchup before Kentucky competes in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, which starts on Thursday, Feb. 23, against Washington.
