Kayla Kowalik becomes Kentucky hit leader as Wildcats sweep doubleheader
Kentucky Wildcat junior Kayla Kowalik (99) celebrates a base hit during the University of Kentucky vs. University of Georgia softball game on Monday, April 12, 2021, at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. UK lost 5-2. Photo by Michael Clubb | Staff
February 24, 2023
No. 18 Kentucky (9-1-1) earned its seventh win in a row as it swept its first doubleheader of the 2023 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Thursday, defeating No. 10 Washington 11-3 and ending the day beating San Diego State 2-0.
Graduate student catcher Kayla Kowalik became the all-time leading hitter for Kentucky softball following her five-hit performance against Washington, making her the program leader in hits and runs scored.
Kentucky started off the day against the Washington Huskies, looking to grab its second top 10 win of the season.
Kentucky failed to record a run in the top of the first despite a single and stolen base from Kowalik and a forced walk by junior Erin Coffel.
Sophomore Izzy Harrison would start on the mound for the Wildcats, surrendering a leadoff hit to Husky junior Avery Hobson and walking three of the next four batters, plating Hobson and giving Washington a 1-0 lead.
After a hitless inning from Kentucky, Harrison would hold the Huskies hitless in the bottom of the second, striking out two Washington batters in the process.
The dry spell would continue for the Wildcats as they failed to score a run in the top of the third despite Kowalik recording her second hit of the game.
Washington would extend its lead in the bottom of the third following a home run from Husky graduate student Haylee Klinger, making the count 2-0.
Things would eventually start to go Kentucky’s way in the top of the fourth when sophomore Taylor Ebbs hit a leadoff home run, bringing the Wildcats back within one.
Kentucky would draw even shortly after when junior Grace Lorsung worked her way into scoring position after a single, soon being plated by an RBI single from graduate student Kennedy Sullivan, tying the score at 2-2.
Harrison wouldn’t surrender a run in the fourth inning, adding another strikeout to her count and giving Kentucky a go-ahead opportunity in the fifth inning.
The Wildcats would capitalize when singles from Kowalik and Coffel were followed by an RBI single from senior Rylea Smith, scoring Kowalik and giving Kentucky its first lead of the game.
Kentucky would make its first pitching change with one out in the bottom of the fifth to sophomore Alexia Lacatena, who would proceed to retire the first two batters she faced.
Despite a leadoff single from sophomore Margaret Tobias, and the fourth straight hit from Kowalik, Kentucky would fail to add to its lead in the top of the sixth.
Washington would draw even in the bottom of the sixth after a home run from Husky sophomore Kinsey Fielder, making the score 3-3 going into the seventh.
With neither team recording a hit in the seventh inning, the game would go into extra innings with overtime rules allowing each team to place a runner on second.
Kentucky would open the extra innings scoring in the top of the eighth after an RBI single from Tobias scored Lorsung.
Tobias would also score when a single from redshirt freshman Jenna Blanton was followed by an RBI single from Kowalik, recording her fifth straight hit of the game and breaking the program record for career hits.
After Coffel was hit by a pitch, junior Erica Thulen would record her first hit of the game as she scored both Blanton and Kowalik with a two-RBI single.
After a forced walk from Ebbs, Smith would put the ball in play with a two-RBI single, scoring Thulen and Coffel.
Junior Meeko Harrison would record the final hit of the game when she sent a two-RBI single into right field, plating Smith and Ebbs and scoring the last of Kentucky’s eight runs in the inning.
Lacatena would record her fourth strikeout in the bottom of the eighth as she retired the first three Husky batters, giving Kentucky the 11-3 win.
Kentucky looked to carry the momentum into its second matchup of the day against San Diego State.
Junior Stephanie Schoonover would start on the mound for Kentucky, looking to mimic her previous outing when she threw 10 strikeouts in the Wildcats shutout win over Loyola Marymount on Tuesday.
Schoonover would start out strong, not giving up a run and recording a strikeout in the bottom of the first. Kentucky would take the lead shortly after following a Coffel home run, giving the Wildcats a 1-0 advantage.
Schoonover would add to her count in the second inning, striking out the first three batters she faced.
The Wildcats would add to their lead in the bottom of the second when a forced walk by Harrison was followed by a single from junior Vanessa Nesby that plated Harrison after a throwing error at third base.
Kentucky’s defense would hold strong in the third as Schoonover recorded three more strikeouts bringing her total to seven through three innings.
After the first scoreless inning from Kentucky, Schoonover would keep San Diego State scoreless in the top of the fourth, adding another strikeout in the process.
The Wildcats would fail to record a hit in the bottom of the fourth but would keep their two-run advantage as Kentucky’s defense didn’t surrender a run in the top of the fifth. Unfortunately for UK, its dry spell continued as well.
Schoonover would record her ninth strikeout to end the top of the sixth, refusing to give up a run despite San Diego State loading the bases.
After another scoreless inning from the Wildcats, Kentucky’s defense would close out the game in the top of the seventh, despite defending against loaded bases, with Schoonover recording her tenth strikeout as Kentucky grabbed the 2-0 victory.
Kentucky will look to carry the momentum into its next matchup of the 2023 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic as it takes on No. 1 UCLA on Feb. 24 at 8:30 p.m. EST.
