Game-ending double play ends UK's bid for doubleheader sweep

It's been an up-and-down softball season thus far for Kentucky, and it was an up-and-down Saturday for the Wildcats at John Cropp Stadium.

After taking a 2-0 win over South Carolina, UK dropped the second half of a doubleheader 7-6 in 11 innings.

Originally scheduled for a single game, a twinbill was called for because of Sunday's forecast for rain.

The nightcap gave the three-game series to South Carolina, which won 6-4 on Friday.

The series ended in agonizing fashion for UK.

Alaynie Page's 14th homer of the season, in the top of the 11th, gave Carolina a 7-6 lead.

UK (28-16, 5-13 Southeastern Conference) opened the bottom of the inning with back-to-back walks and a sacrifice, putting runners on second and third with one out.

But Breanne Ray lined out on a fine play by left fielder Page, who doubled off Griffin Joiner at second base.

"It's tough, especially when you're the home team and you get the last at-bat," UK Coach Rachel Lawson said. "We had plenty of opportunities to score. We just couldn't get that one hit that we needed to push us to the win."

In the opener, Meagan Prince combined with Kelsey Nunley on the shutout. Each team finished with four hits.

Prince (12-5) worked 52⁄3 innings, giving up four hits and three walks while striking out one.

"Meagan did a great job today," Lawson said. "That's probably the highest her pitch count was (97 pitches). ... She did a great job. She kept them off-balance, which is what we asked her to do. I thought Meagan had a tremendous outing today."

Nunley retired all four batters she faced to pick up her fifth save of the season.

She went on to work eight innings in the nightcap, taking the loss to even her record at 11-11.

UK scored the only run it needed in the first, without getting a hit.

Carolina right-hander Julie Sarratt (15-9) walked four in the inning, with Maisie Steed's free pass forcing in Christian Stokes.

The Cats' other run came in the fifth.

Sylver Samuel reached on a one-out infield single and advanced to second on Nikki Sagermann's base hit.

The speedy Samuel scored when she drew a pickoff throw from catcher Sarah Mooney, who sailed the ball into center field.

Prince worked out of several jams, including a bases-loaded situation in the third.

"I was able to command both sides of the plate," Prince said. "That's a big thing for me, is being able to do both sides of the plate and being able to hit my off-speed. Luckily, that game everything was working for me."

Carolina (31-17, 6-12) outhit UK 14-13 in the nightcap.

Stokes tied a UK record by rapping three doubles in the game.

"I had a pretty good night, but obviously the ulitimate goal was not accomplished. We didn't win the game," Stokes said. "But hopefully we can carry this hitting over to Tuesday, when we play Louisville."

UK took a first-inning lead on Macie Steed's three-run homer.

South Carolina came back with four runs, only one earned, in the second. The big blow was a two-run triple by Kristen Struett.

UK plated single runs in the third and fourth to take a 5-4 lead.

Joiner, who had a three-hit game, doubled in the third-inning run. Kara Howard singled in a run in the fourth.

The Gamecocks went on top 6-5 in the fifth, getting back-to-back RBI doubles by Kaylea Snaer and Lauren Masters.

Stokes doubled in the tying run in the sixth.

The Wildcats stranded 12 runners in all, leaving at least one on in each of the last five innings.

This story was originally published April 18, 2015 at 10:16 PM with the headline "Game-ending double play ends UK's bid for doubleheader sweep."