Kentucky Softball defeats Wisconsin 5-2 in season-opener

Kentucky Softball started its 2022 campaign off on the right foot, defeating Wisconsin 5-2 in the Cats’ first matchup of the 2022 Northern Lights Southern Lights tournament in Leesburg, Florida.

Miranda Stoddard threw a complete game, allowing just five hits and two runs in seven innings of work. UK would tally eight hits, doing most of its damage later in the game.

Thursday's are for the Cats 😼#WeAreUK x #BeTheStandard pic.twitter.com/QosX3eAkII

— Kentucky Softball (@UKsoftball) February 11, 2022

Starting slow

The Wildcats started off slow, failing to record a hit over the first three innings. Badgers’ starting pitcher Ava Justman struck out six of the first nine batters she faced.

Wisconsin would strike first in the second inning as right fielder Megan Donahue led off the top half with a double. Center fielder Ally Miklesh put the Badgers on the board with an RBI single, plating Donahue.

Stoddard would settle in, getting out of the inning and retiring Wisconsin in order in the top of the third.

Breaking through in the fourth

Kentucky would finally breakthrough in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs on four hits and one Wisconsin error.

Rylea Smith got the ball rolling, collecting the first hit of the game for UK on a single. She would swiftly advance to second base after a wild pitch.

Fifth-year left fielder Lauren Johnson smashed a single of her own, putting runners at the corners with one out. Preseason All-SEC shortstop Erin Coffel would collect the first RBI of the season, bringing Smith home on a ground ball to the second baseman. Coffel would reach on an error.

🔵🔵 Always choose the blue team 🔵🔵#WeAreUK x #BeTheStandard pic.twitter.com/wsxkvHNX9x

— Kentucky Softball (@UKsoftball) February 11, 2022

Senior center fielder Renee Abernathy broke the 1-1 tie with a drive to right field, scoring both Johnson and Coffel, giving the Cats a two-run lead while simultaneously knocking Justman out of the game.

Steady Stoddard and run support

Wisconsin would grab a run back in the top of the fifth as second baseman Ellie Hubbard blasted a double to left-center, scoring Eden Dempsey. Hubbard would advance to third after a groundout, but Stoddard worked out of the jam, striking out Brooke Kuffel to strand the tying run just 90 feet from home.

The Wildcats would add on to their lead in the bottom of the sixth, plating two runs on three hits, all of which came with two outs in the inning. Margaret Tobias started the rally with a single to left before freshman Taylor Ebbs ripped a triple to right-center, the first hit of her career. Second baseman Emmy Blane knocked in Ebbs with a single, increasing UK’s lead to three.

Kentucky’s run support turned out to be enough for Stoddard, as she retired her final eight batters faced and shut the door on the Badgers for the Cats’ first win of the season.

Four more games await Kentucky at the 2022 Northern Lights Southern Lights tournament this weekend, including a doubleheader on Friday against Michigan State and Liberty.

First pitch between the Wildcats and Spartans is set for 12:30 p.m. EST, while game two against the Flames is scheduled for 3 p.m.