PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The No. 18 Kentucky Softball team took the top-ranked UCLA Bruins to the brink Friday night at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, bringing the tying run to the plate in the fifth and seventh innings, but eventually falling 6-3 in one of the most exciting games of the young softball season.
UK outhit UCLA in the game, eight to six, with Kentucky knocking out Shea Yanez from the game after five innings of work and forcing ace Megan Faraimo to enter the game to earn her first save of the season. Kentucky’s Erin Coffel hit a ball to the wall, coming up inches shy of a game-tying three-run home run in the fifth inning, and again in the seventh, UK brought the tying run to the plate, but a deep flyball to CF ended the game on a chilly night in the desert.
Kentucky used three pitchers in the game, as Izzy Harrison started the game, going 0.2 innings and suffering the loss. Sloan Gayan pitched admirably in 1.1 innings of work, striking out one batter, but it was Kennedy Sullivan who stole the show in the circle for UK, throwing 4.0 innings against the nation’s top-scoring offense, allowing just two runs on four hits with no walks and a strikeout.
Grace Lorsung hit her second home run of the season in the game, and both Rylea Smith and Vanessa Nesby netted two-hit nights to lead the Wildcats offense.
The Wildcats with the result fall to 9-2-1. UCLA improves to 14-0, one of three undefeated teams remaining in college softball.
Sullivan, Kentucky Push No. 1 UCLA to Brink, Falls Just Short – UK Athletics​
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UK outhit UCLA in the game, eight to six, with Kentucky knocking out Shea Yanez from the game after five innings of work and forcing ace Megan Faraimo to enter the game to earn her first save of the season. Kentucky’s Erin Coffel hit a ball to the wall, coming up inches shy of a game-tying three-run home run in the fifth inning, and again in the seventh, UK brought the tying run to the plate, but a deep flyball to CF ended the game on a chilly night in the desert.
Kentucky used three pitchers in the game, as Izzy Harrison started the game, going 0.2 innings and suffering the loss. Sloan Gayan pitched admirably in 1.1 innings of work, striking out one batter, but it was Kennedy Sullivan who stole the show in the circle for UK, throwing 4.0 innings against the nation’s top-scoring offense, allowing just two runs on four hits with no walks and a strikeout.
Grace Lorsung hit her second home run of the season in the game, and both Rylea Smith and Vanessa Nesby netted two-hit nights to lead the Wildcats offense.
The Wildcats with the result fall to 9-2-1. UCLA improves to 14-0, one of three undefeated teams remaining in college softball.
Sullivan, Kentucky Push No. 1 UCLA to Brink, Falls Just Short – UK Athletics​
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