No. 14/14 Kentucky Prevails 6-5 in Nine Innings

Wednesday, April 21

Lexington, KY

7:00 P.M.

University of Louisville

16-21

Kentucky

31-10

Louisville

Kentucky

April 21, 2021 | Softball

Box Score

By: Lori Harmon

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Lauren Johnson's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning sent host No 14/14 Kentucky softball team to a 6-5 win over the University of Louisville Wednesday evening at John Cropp Stadium.

The Cardinals (16-21) will return to Ulmer Stadium to take on their third straight ranked opponent when No. 7/7 Florida State visits for a four-game series in Louisville's final home weekend of the regular season.

Carmyn Greenwood went 4-for-5 and Makayla Hurst drove in a pair of runs to lead the Cardinals as they outhit the Wildcats 10-9 in a back-and-forth game that featured three ties.

Hurst put Louisville on the scoreboard with a leadoff home run in the top of the second. The junior took the first pitch she saw over the fence in right centerfield for her seventh home run of the season to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.

Kentucky (31-10) answered in the bottom of the second behind Erin Coffel's solo shot which evened the score at 1-1.

The Cardinals struck with two more runs in the third. Hits by Jenna Servi, Carmyn Greenwood and Maddy Newman loaded the bases. Taylor Roby's fielder's choice saw Greenwood out at second, but Servi crossed the plate to put Louisville back on top 2-1. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Hurst sent Newman home to increase the lead to 3-1.

The Wildcats countered again with an unearned run in the bottom of the third. An error allowed Miranda Stoddard to reach and she would eventually cross the plate on Tatum Spangler's sacrifice fly, pulling Kentucky within a run.

Louisville got the run back in the fourth when Charley Butler led off with a single and proceeded to steal second. Cassady Greenwood's hit placed runners on the corners for Celene Funke's sacrifice fly, making the score 4-2.

The fifth inning brought two more runs for Kentucky. Kayla Kowalik doubled and scored on Rylea Smith's RBI hit. Renee Abernathy's sacrifice hit sent pinch runner Erica Thulen home to even the score at 4-4.

The Cards responded with Rebecca Chung's RBI single in the top of the seventh. Carmyn Greenwood got the frame started with her fourth hit of the game and moved into scoring position when Roby walked to set up Chung who drove a hit into centerfield to put her team back on top 5-4.

Once again, Kentucky answered with a run in the home half of the inning when back-to-back doubles by Spangler and Johnson tied the game at 5-5. With the go-ahead run in scoring position, Louisville reliever Jennifer Leonhardt dealt back-to-back strikeouts to send the game to extra innings.

The score stayed knotted at 5-5 until the bottom of the ninth when Jaci Babbs reached on a bunt single and took third on Kowalik's hit to set up Johnson's one-out sacrifice fly for the 6-5 final.

Leonhardt (2-7) took the loss, allowing one earned run on three hits and striking out three in 2.1 innings of relief. Roby allowed five runs, three earned, on six hits and fanned five in 6.1 innings.

Autumn Humes (15-5) picked up the win, giving up two earned runs on five hits and striking out five in 6.0 innings of relief. Kowalik led the Wildcats with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate.