A Player of the Year nod and a three-run homer. It was a big day for UK softball star.

The greatest power hitter in University of Kentucky softball history had a fitting send-off in front of her home fans on Wednesday night.

Hours after being named a finalist for USA Softball National Player of the Year, senior infielder Abbey Cheek hit a three-run home run to cap off UK’s 10-2 run-rule victory over Eastern Kentucky in the Wildcats’ home finale at John Cropp Stadium.

EKU (26-16) led 2-1 after one inning, but Kelsee Henson’s leadoff homer and a grand slam by Alex Martens were part of a six-run second inning that put the Wildcats ahead 7-2. In the top of the fourth, Jenny Schaper drew a leadoff walk and Katie Reed found the left-center field gap for a double, setting up Cheek for her team-leading 17th homer of the year.

Junior pitcher Autumn Humes sat EKU down in order in the top of the fifth to finish off her 11th win of the year. Humes gave up a single and a home run to the first two Colonels she faced, but a hit batter was EKU’s only other base runner of the game.

Cheek will almost certainly finish the season as Kentucky’s leading home-run hitter for the third straight year. Schaper’s 11 homers are second most on the team, while Martens and Mallory Peyton have 10 apiece.

Cheek became the program’s all-time home run leader earlier this year. She now has 58 career bombs, 10 more than second-place Brittany Cervantes.

Ranked No. 22 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll, Kentucky (26-16) has now won four straight games to build some much-needed momentum heading into a three-game weekend series at No. 3 Alabama.

Next game

No. 22 Kentucky at No. 3 Alabama

Friday, 7:30 p.m.

This story was originally published April 24, 2019 at 10:11 PM.