Kentucky officially dedicated its new softball complex on Saturday, and the Wildcats opened it with a victory.
No. 18 Kentucky (31-11, 9-5 Southeastern Conference) capitalized on offensive woes from No. 3 Florida (40-5, 13-4 SEC) to win 4-2 at the newly named John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky.
For the second time in the series, the Gators got on the board first. Second baseman Kelsey Stewart led off the game with a single, and center fielder Kirsti Merritt followed her with a home run on a 2-1 pitch from Kentucky starter Kelsey Nunley.
But from that point, Nunley kept Florida in check. Although the freshman right-hander walked four and hit a batter, the Gators struggled to notch a hit after Merritt’s blast. The only other base hit by a Florida batter was a bunt single by Stewart in the fifth inning.
The same problem did not apply to Kentucky hitters. The Wildcats racked up nine hits in the game, getting at least one in each inning.
Kentucky responded to Florida’s two-run first with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning, and the Wildcats tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth.
Kentucky took the lead in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on first and second, the Wildcats executed a double steal. Catcher Aubree Munro nearly threw Emily Jolly out at third, but Jolly kicked the ball out of third baseman Stephanie Tofft’s glove. Both runners scored on a hit by second baseman Krystal Smith.
The Gators had a chance to even the score in the top of the seventh. With two outs, Merritt walked, bringing up pitcher Lauren Haeger, who leads the team in home runs.
Haeger worked a 3-0 count, but took a pitch for a strike, fouled off the 3-1 and struck out swinging with a full count to end the game.
Florida and Kentucky play the rubber match of the three-game series on Sundat at noon.
Contact Adam Lichtenstein at alichtenstein@alligator.org.
Kelsey Stewart gets tagged out at home during Florida’s 9-1 win against UNC Wilmington on Feb. 17 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Stewart picked up two hits in the Gators' 3-2 loss to Georgia on Friday.
