No. 16 Kentucky softball suffers 2-1 game one loss to No. 6 Tennessee in extra innings
Kentucky Wildcats catcher Kayla Kowalik (99) swings the bat during the No. 16 Kentucky vs. Dayton softball home opener game on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. Photo by Jack Weaver | Staff
April 21, 2023
No. 16 Kentucky (25-11-1) softball fell 2-1 to No. 6 Tennessee (32-5) in extra innings on Friday in game one of its second home SEC series.
The Wildcats became the sixth team to hold Tennessee to two runs or less in a game this year.
Sophomore Alexia Lacatena would start on the mound for the Wildcats, recording a strikeout in the first inning as she held the Lady Volunteers scoreless in the top of the first.
The first inning would remain scoreless when the Wildcats failed to put runs on the board despite a leadoff hit from graduate student Kayla Kowalik.
Lacatena would hold Tennessee hitless in the top of the second, with Kentucky failing to break the deadlock after being held hitless in the bottom of the second.
Kentucky pitching would hold strong in the top of the third when Lacatena struck out the side as she increased her strikeout total to five.
With the Wildcats going hitless in the bottom of the third, a leadoff home run by Tennessee sophomore Lair Beautae would give the Vols a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth.
After another hitless inning from Kentucky, Lacatena would add another strikeout to her total as she held Tennessee scoreless in the top of the fifth.
The Wildcats would draw even in the bottom of the fifth after a leadoff home run by sophomore Taylor Ebbs, her fourth on the year.
After a hitless sixth inning from both teams, Lacatena retired the side in the top of the seventh to send Kentucky back to the batter’s box.
Kentucky batters would fail to record a hit in the bottom of the seventh as the game entered extra innings.
Tennessee would open extra innings with a leadoff single, with Lacatena retiring the next two batters to bring Kentucky one out away from the batter’s box.
The Lady Volunteers would record a two out single shortly after, with an RBI single by way of a bunt from Beautae giving Tennessee a 2-1 advantage in the top of the eighth.
Kowalik would record her second hit of the game in the form of a one out single in the bottom of the eighth, with junior Vanessa Nesby reaching base after a defensive error.
The Wildcats would fail to take advantage of the runners on first and second as the next two batters would be retired as Tennessee took the 2-1 game one win.
Kentucky will look to draw even in the series as they take on Tennessee in game two at John Cropp Stadium at noon EST with the game being streamed on SEC Network +.
