The No. 13/14 Kentucky softball team saw its season-high 12-game winning streak snapped and suffered its first Southeastern Conference loss of the season on Friday night as the Missouri Tigers scored six unanswered runs in the fifth and eighth innings to beat Kentucky, 10-8.
The Wildcats fall to 21-8 overall on the season and are now 6-1 in SEC play this season. Missouri has now won three SEC games in a row and moves to 14-12 overall and 3-4 in SEC action. Game two of the series will be on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET. The game is UK’s “Bark in the Park”, as fans are encouraged to bring their four-legged friends to the game. SEC Network+ will handle the broadcast.
Kentucky led by as many as four runs in the fifth inning, but seven-consecutive batters reached with two outs in the Mizzou half, allowing the Tigers to tie the game at 8-8. After two scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh – three-straight batters reached to start the eighth and scored two times. In the bottom of the eighth, Kentucky put one runner in scoring position, but a popout ended the game.
Key Stat
2. Friday was just the second time all season that Kentucky had allowed 10-plus runs to an opposition. The other team was No. 1/1 UCLA.
Key Play
The key play in Friday’s series opener was Missouri’s Brooke Wilmes robbing Abbey Cheek of a three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning.
Key Player
Sarah Rainwater was the key player for Kentucky, going 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBI singles in the contest.
Run Recap
Missouri scored two runs on a Kim Wert home run in the top of the first. MIZ 2, UK 0
Sarah Rainwater drove in Katie Reed in the bottom of the second and Lauren Johnson pummeled a home run to right field to put UK in the lead. UK 3, MIZ 2
The Tigers scored twice in the top of the third on a two-run home run by Jazmyn Rollin. MIZ 4, UK 3
In the bottom of the third, Kentucky scored three times. Kelsee Henson had a two-run double to the wall in right center to score Jaci Babbs and Katie Reed. Jenny Schaper then tripled for her second-career three-base hit. UK 6, MIZ 4
In the bottom of the fourth, Katie Reed and Sarah Rainwater both had two-out RBI hits to extend the UK lead at the time to four runs. UK 8, MIZ 4
Missouri had seven-straight two-out batters reach base and sent 10 batters to the plate, scoring five runs to tie the game in the top of the fifth. UK 8, MIZ 8
In the top of the eighth, the Tigers had back-to-back doubles that were preceded by a walk to score two times. FINAL – Missouri 10, Kentucky 8
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Chris Shoals