Freshman star Coffel launches two homers as Kentucky softball routs Tennessee
Freshman Erin Coffel launched two home runs and drove in six runs as the seventh-ranked University of Kentucky softball team rolled over No. 18 Tennessee 13-2 in five innings to even the three-game series in Knoxville on Saturday.
Rylea Smith and Renee Abernathy also homered. Smith’s three-run shot was her third home run of the season. Abernathy’s two-run shot gave UK (27-5, 4-4 SEC) a double-digit lead. She also made a terrific catch in center field in the bottom of the third.
Kentucky’s 13 runs were the most the Cats have ever scored against Tennessee (27-6, 3-5) in a single game. The previous record was set during a 10-2 win over the Vols in May 2000.
Grace Baalman (6-1) pitched her second complete game of the season, allowing one earned run on five hits and striking out five.
UK baseball drops another close one
Kentucky’s baseball team dropped consecutive one-run games to close its series at No. 5 Mississippi State. The Wildcats fought back from an early three-run deficit before ultimately falling to the Bulldogs 4-3 on Saturday.
Trailing 2-0, UK (18-7, 5-4 SEC) fed off a brilliant relief outing from junior lefty Dillon Marsh to claw back into the game. In the ninth, Kentucky left the tying and go-ahead runs on base.
Worley wins title in UK gymnastics finale
The 14th-ranked UK gymnastics team concluded its season with a 197.600 performance at the NCAA Salt Lake City Regional finals, matching the best team score in program history.
Tying No. 11 Arizona State but falling to No. 6 Utah (197.600) and No. 3 LSU (197.750), the Wildcats end the year with a 9-6-1 (4-3 Southeastern Conference) head-to-head record.
Sophomore All-American Raena Worley earned a share of four event titles — including the competition’s outright all-around crown — while All-SEC junior Josie Angeny tied for first on balance beam.
Leppelmeier sets UK record
Molly Leppelmeier set a school record in the hammer throw, Dwight St. Hillaire won the 400-meter dash, and the women’s 4x400 relay team won its event Saturday for the UK track and field team at the Florida Relays in Gainesville.
Leppelmeier got the day going by finishing second in the hammer throw, slinging it 212 feet. She broke the school record of 211 feet, 9 inches set by Beckie Famurewa in 2016 and eclipsed her own personal best by more than four feet.
St. Hillaire earned a win for the second straight week by covering the 400 dash in 44.74 seconds, currently the second-best time in the nation for the outdoor season.
“When Dwight starts to believe in Dwight, he will do great things,” UK Coach Lonnie Greene said. “When he felt the challenge (in the 400), he didn’t back off. He trusted his training and executed very well.”
Soccer stalemate
The UK men’s soccer team (9-4-2, 1-3-1 Conference USA) and FIU (3-2-1, 2-1-1) fought to a 1-1 draw Saturday in Miami.
Marcel Meinzer tied the match with his first goal of the season scored the game-tying goal just after halftime.
UK goalkeeper Ryan Troutman had five saves on nine shots. The Wildcats’ final home match is scheduled for Saturday against Old Dominion (1-1-3, 0-1-3) at 11 a.m.