13 hours ago
Kentucky Athletics
Photo: Kentucky Softball
ATHENS, Ga. – The No. 16 Kentucky softball team picked up its biggest win of the season Monday night, shutting out No. 10 Georgia 4-0 at the hands of Kennedy Sullivan and Sloan Guyan to save the final game of the series at Jack Turner Stadium.
Kennedy Sullivan pitched UK’s career-high 5.1 innings, allowing no runs on just two hits for one of the nation’s most potent offenses. Sullivan walked just four and struck out two in the game, totaling 94 pitches and 50 being struck out. Sloan Gayan entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the sixth and got a hit by Harrison and a hit by Sydney Chamblee to end the threat.
With Monday night’s win, Kentucky picked up its 22nd win of the season and is now 22-9-1 on the year with a 5-4 record in Southeastern Conference play. Georgia falls to 29-7 overall in 2023 and ranks first in the SEC with a 9-2 record. The Bulldogs had their 11-game winning streak and nine-game SEC streak snapped Monday night.
Kentucky tacked on four runs on Erin Koffel’s RBI single off Kayla Kovalik in the third inning, and then three more unearned runs were tacked on in the fifth inning thanks to a couple of Georgia errors.
UK does not have a midweek contest this coming week, and the Wildcats’ next games are Friday through Sunday in Oxford, Mississippi against the Ole Miss Rebels at Ole Miss Softball Stadium. Sunday’s game will be televised live on ESPN2.
Key Play:
The key play in Monday night’s win was Erin Koffel’s #SCTop10 catch on a line drive off the bat of Ellie Armistead, diving to her left and providing a crucial second in the inning.
Main player
Kennedy Sullivan was the key player in the game, pitching 5.1 innings and his first shutout win of the season for the Wildcats.
Key Stat:
0: Kentucky didn’t allow a run in Monday’s game, becoming just the second team to shut out the Bulldogs all season (Stanford).
Run Recap
Erin Koffel ripped an RBI single to left center to score Kayla Kovalik from second to give Kentucky the lead in the top of the third inning. UK 1, UGA 0
Ryla Smith made an error in the fifth inning as the ball was dropped into left field, allowing Vanessa Nesby to score on the second run of the game. After Taylor Ebbs ripped a sacrifice fly up the middle to score Erin Koffel, an error allowed Smith to score on the at bat of Grace Lorsung as the fourth run crossed.
UK 4, UGA 0
Georgia brought two on in the bottom of the seventh, but Sloan Gayan grounded out to short to end the game.
FINAL – Kentucky 4, Georgia 0