Auburn vs. Kentucky softball game enters lightning delay in fourth inning

Saturday evening’s softball game between Auburn and Kentucky has entered a lightning delay in the fourth inning. The Tigers held a 2-0 lead against the No. 24 Wildcats at the time play was stopped at Jane B. Moore Field.

It is the third time the game has been delayed as the start of the contest was also pushed an hour back due to weather in the area. Per NCAA rules, play may resume 30 minutes from the time that lightning was last spotted.

Annnnnndddddd we're back under lightning delay at Jane B. Moore Field ⚡😟#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/8UlMRXLjzp

— Auburn Softball (@AuburnSoftball) April 20, 2024

Auburn had just started to get going in the third inning, where it scored both of its runs prior to the delay. The Tigers used a throwing error to bring in Annabelle Widra for their first run of the game. KK McCrary then drove in Rose Roach with a sacrifice fly.

Somehow, the Tigers have still yet to record a hit on the afternoon. They’ve been helped by a number of miscues from Kentucky, including two errors and five walks.

Auburn has put together a solid day defensively thus far behind starting pitcher Shelby Lowe. She has pitched all four innings thus far to record six strikeouts while giving up three hits.

The game resumed briefly 30 minutes later, but lightning was again spotted forcing another delay. The Tigers are currently up to bat with two outs and runners on first and second when play resumes.

Kentucky comes back to defeat Auburn after weather delay

Play finally resumed nearly two hours later at 7:45 p.m. CT and it didn’t take long for Kentucky to get going. The Wildcats got the final out needed to end the fourth inning and stepped back up to bat to begin the fifth.

Although the first two batters got out, Erin Coffel got on base with a single to keep the inning alive. An error allowed Taylor Ebbs to follow as freshman Peyton Plotts stepped up to the plate. She connected on the second pitch, sending the ball to deep left center and over the fence for a three-run homer.

That gave UK a 3-2 lead that it would never relinquish. Kentucky went on to add two more runs with another homer from Ebbs to increase its lead to 5-2. That would ultimately be the score the Wildcats won by as Auburn was held scoreless over the final four innings.

Kentucky improved to 28-15 (6-10 SEC) with the win and took a 1-0 lead in the series against Auburn with Saturday’s victory. The two teams will next face each other at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday and then again on Monday to close out the series.