Kentucky pulls an ace in season-opening softball victory over Big Ten foe
The words “February” and “softball” do not normally come together to generate warm thoughts.
For the University of Kentucky on Thursday night, a Florida dateline and a season-opening victory brought the two together to unlock winter’s chill.
The Wildcats began their 2022 softball season by defeating Wisconsin 5-2 in the first of five games they’re playing this weekend in the Northern Lights Southern Nights showcase in Leesburg, Fla., where players are forecast to enjoy temperatures in the 60s and 70s throughout the event.
Miranda Stoddard got Kentucky off on the right foot in 2022 by pitching a complete-game five-hitter against a Wisconsin lineup that featured 2021 Big Ten Player of the Year Kayla Konwent. Stoddard, a junior from Anaheim, Calif., pitched her first career complete game, striking out five and walking none. Konwent grounded out in the first, singled in the fourth, grounded out in the sixth and finished her night 1-for-3.
Kentucky scored three runs in the fourth inning and two in the sixth to pull out the victory after falling behind 1-0 early.
Eight different players combined to bang out Kentucky’s eight hits. Renee Abernathy drove in two runs for the Wildcats. Erin Coffel, Taylor Ebbs and Emmy Blane had one RBI apiece.
Ninteenth-ranked Kentucky was scheduled to play two games Friday, facing Michigan State and 24th-ranked Liberty, before taking on Iowa on Saturday and No. 13 Virginia Tech on Sunday.