‘Full-steam ahead.’ Montana Fouts frustrates home-state team again as Alabama tops UK.

The University of Kentucky softball team returned to the scene of last season’s demise on Friday and discovered similarly unrivaled competition but — in the end — familiar misery.

Kentucky native Montana Fouts retired the final 13 batters to tamp down a Wildcats upset bid, allowing third-ranked Alabama to rally for a 4-2 victory over No. 8 UK at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Alabama ended Kentucky’s 2021 season by sweeping their best-of-three NCAA Tournament super-regional matchup at Tuscaloosa last May by scores of 4-3 and 4-1. Fouts, a senior from East Carter High School, snuffed out a late Kentucky comeback to win the first of those two games.

Alabama has now defeated Kentucky four consecutive times since the Wildcats took two of three from the Crimson Tide last March in Lexington. In addition to ending UK’s season in the NCAA Tournament, Alabama knocked the Wildcats out of last season’s SEC Tournament in Tuscaloosa.

Fouts (now 13-0 this season) was back in the circle again for Alabama (23-3 overall, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) as the Wildcats visited for their SEC opener Friday.

Kentucky (19-4, 0-1) got to Fouts for two runs in the third inning to put the Wildcats in front 2-1. Kayla Kowalik started things with a single to left-center with one out. Rylea Smith reached on a fielder’s choice that erased Kowalik. Lauren Johnson singled to give UK two runners aboard. Erin Coffel’s single to right field drove home Smith. An Alabama throwing error on the play allowed Johnson to cross the plate as well and sent Coffel to second base. Fouts escaped the jam with no further damage by striking out Kennedy Sullivan.

Kentucky starter Alexia Lacatena (5-1) protected Kentucky’s lead until the fifth, when the Crimson Tide broke through with three runs to set the final score. The big blow was Ally Shipman’s two-run double after Lacatena gave up a pair of singles and hit a batter to load the bases. Kaylee Tow then singled up the middle to drive home the Tide’s third run in the breakout inning. Like Fouts, Tow also came to Alabama from Kentucky. The graduate student infielder is from Madisonville.

Fouts pitched the entire way for Alabama, allowing four hits, striking out 10 and walking one. Lacatena lasted 4 1/3 innings for Kentucky, giving up three runs on six hits with no strikeouts or walks. Stephanie Schoonover and Izzy Harrison finished up in the circle for UK.

“It was a great performance by Montana,” Alabama Coach Patrick Murphy said. “I know that she was probably a little disappointed and upset with the two runs allowed, but then I could see it in her face that it was full steam ahead. She did a great job all night because Kentucky is one of the best hitting teams we’ll face all year for sure. Taking the early momentum in a series is important, especially against a top-10 team.”

Kentucky and Alabama were to face each other again Saturday afternoon and then Sunday at 2:30 p.m. (SEC Network Plus) to close out the series. The Wildcats follow up their opening SEC series with a visit Tuesday from top-ranked Oklahoma at John Cropp Stadium (7 p.m., SEC Network).

Baseball team drops SEC opener

Kentucky’s baseball team is also playing its first SEC series of the season on the road against the nation’s No. 3-ranked team this weekend.

The men did not get the result they were looking for Friday night, either.

Arkansas scored four unearned runs off Kentucky’s shaky defense to post a 6-2 victory at Fayetteville.

Kentucky (14-5, 0-1 SEC) was unable to mount a rally at the plate, going 1-for-15 with runners on base and 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position against the Razorbacks (14-3, 1-0).

Kentucky committed two of its three errors in Arkansas’ decisive three-run third inning. Cole Stupp (2-1) took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits, striking out five and walking one in four innings.

John Thrasher went 3-for-4 and scored both Kentucky runs, and Ryan Ritter went 2-for-3 with an RBI as Kentucky produced eight hits.

The Cats and Hogs were to meet again Saturday in Fayetteville, then wrap up their three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m. (SEC Network Plus).