No. 11 Kentucky softball (17-7-1) came up short in a back-and-forth game before being mercy-ruled for a sweeping defeat by No. 24 Texas A&M (19-10) in a doubleheader on Saturday. 

Junior Stephanie Schoonover, coming into the game with an 11-1 record, was the starting pitcher for Kentucky for the first game.

The Wildcats started out strong defensively, not allowing any Aggies on base in the top of the first with the help of junior left fielder Vanessa Nesby, who’s catch prevented a potential base hit.

Graduate student Kayla Kowalik began the bottom of the first with a double and advanced to third on a bunt from Nesby, who also made it to first before the Aggies could stop her.

The double gave Kowalik the all-time program record for total bases with 455, overtaking Abbey Cheek’s mark of 454 from 2016-2019.

Junior Erin Coffel brought in Kowalik and advanced Nesby to third with a double to load the bases after senior Rylea Smith was hit by a pitch.

Kentucky then struck gold when junior Grace Lorsung hit a grand slam for her fifth home run of the year, putting the Cats up 5-0.

On the other end, a fielding error, a single that went off the glove of Schoonover, and a walk loaded the bases for Texas A&M, off which the Aggies would score two runs from a single and a sacrifice fly.

The Aggies then scored another run from a wild pitch to make the score 5-3 going into the bottom of the second.

Kentucky went scoreless in the second, although Kowalik picked up another hit to lead off.

Kennedy Sullivan replaced Schoonover as pitcher for the Wildcats starting in the third and she, along with Margaret Tobias, led a three-up-three-down effort in the top of the third as Sullivan struck out the first batter and Tobias was responsible for the last two putouts.

Then, despite a double from freshman Karissa Hamilton, the Wildcats went scoreless in their half of the third.

Texas A&M tied the game with a home run in the top of the fourth, but three straight outs after that, including two strikeouts from Sullivan, quickly shut down the Aggies’ offense.

Kowalik singled to start the fourth before stealing second and advancing to third on a single by Nesby.

A failed double play by the Aggies allowed Sullivan to reach on a fielder’s choice and scored Kowalik before Lorsung smacked an RBI single, bringing the score to 7-5 in favor of Kentucky.

Sophomore Alexia Lacatena came in the game to pitch for the Wildcats in the top of the fifth, which also saw the Aggies cut the lead to one with a sacrifice fly.

Kentucky then loaded the bases with two errors and a single from Nesby to start the bottom of the fifth with big-hitter Coffel up to bat.

Coffel hit a long ball that just missed the fence for a double, but all three runners on base scored to extend Coffel’s team lead for RBIs on the season to 35.

Junior Meeko Harrison hit an RBI single that scored Coffel to close the inning and give Kentucky a comfortable 11-6 lead.

Lacatena struck out two to start the sixth, but Texas A&M scored three runs in a two-out rally from a fielding error and an RBI single, cutting the lead to 11-9.

Kentucky’s defense crumbled in the seventh inning and surrendered five runs to the Aggies, one from a fielder’s choice and the others from solo and three-run home runs. 

Needing three runs to tie the game, Lorsung hit a two-run bomb with two outs to put the Wildcats within one run of tying the game but after a risky steal by freshman Chelsea Mack, sophomore Hallie Mitchell struck out with a full count to end the first game.

Despite scoring 13 runs, the record number of runs scored in a loss for UK, the loss snapped Kentucky’s eight-game winning streak.

“Usually when we score that many runs, we win,” head coach Rachel Lawson said.  

Even worse for Kentucky, entering the second game, Schoonover was unavailable as she was said to be dealing with an injury that Lawson described as “an arm issue,” saying the ace was “day to day.”

The Wildcats sent senior Sloan Gayan to the mound to begin the second game of the day, with the pitcher retiring the first two batters in order before giving up a double to the Aggies. The next hitter would send a single into left field to score a run for the Aggies. 

Gayan would settle down in the second inning as she would work around a walk and stolen base to prevent any more runs for the Aggies before running into some trouble in the third. 

Texas A&M then loaded the bases before a double down the left field line would bring home two more runs for the Aggies.

The next Aggies hitter would send a ground ball to second that allowed another run to score on a fielder’s choice. 

The third inning would close the book on Gayan as she was relieved by sophomore Izzy Harrison in the fourth inning, ending the day giving up four runs on three hits and two walks while notching two strikeouts. She was also the pitcher of record as she received the loss for the game, moving her season record to 0-2. 

Harrison would not record an out in her outing as she gave up two walks and a home run. The next Aggies hitter sent a double to left and soon scored, but not before Harrison was relieved from the game.

Freshman Taylor Hess was next on the mound for the Wildcats, surrendering two runs on four hits. 

The Wildcats’ offense was mostly non-existent as they only got three hits in the run-rule loss. The only Cats to record a hit were Kowalik, Nesby and sophomore Taylor Ebbs. 

“We just didn’t have it on the mound,” Lawson said.  “We just couldn’t hold them, so that was pretty much the story of the day.” 

The Wildcats will look to avoid the sweep as they play the series finale against Texas A&M on Sunday, March 26, at 1 p.m. EST at John Cropp Stadium.