Walks Prove Costly as IU Falls to No. 24 Kentucky

Wednesday, March 14

Lexington, Ky.

3:00 PM

Indiana University

4-19

Kentucky

17-6

Indiana

Kentucky

Walks Prove Costly as IU Falls to No. 24 Kentucky

3/14/2018 6:47:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Indiana dropped a 15-2 decision to No. 24 Kentucky in Lexington on Wednesday in five innings. The Wildcats outhit Indiana, 11-5, and took advantage of nine walks to come away with the victory.

Indiana got on base quickly to start the game as senior Rebecca Blitz drew a one-out walk, before freshman Maddie Westmoreland singled through the left side to put two on with one away. However, Blitz was caught stealing as she slipped between second and third base and then a strikeout ended the frame.

The Wildcats capitalized on six walks and a pair of timely hits to jump to the 6-0 first-inning lead. A bases-loaded walk to Alex Martens brought in the first run of the game before Abbey Cheek's two-run double was roped down the left field line. With two outs, Lauren Johnson drew another bases-loaded walk and Bailey Vick hit a two-run bloop single to shallow right field to make it 6-0.

"Too many walks, too many errors, too many swings and misses on a pitch we were supposed to take," said head coach Shonda Stanton. "That's it in a nutshell. We knew the matchup coming in, we have to be on our game against a good hitting team in Kentucky. Because we had those free passes and didn't take care of the ball, they took advantage."

IU junior Sarah Galovch led off the second with a double off the wall in right center and advanced to third on a groundout, but she was left stranded.

Kentucky put up another big inning in the second, plating seven on five hits and another bases-loaded walk. With runners at second and third, Cheek collected her second RBI hit of the game on a single to bring in Katie Reed, who reached on a leadoff single. A bases-loaded walk to Johnson plated another run before a two-run single by Erin Rethlake made it 11-0. The final two runs of the frame came off the bat of Katie Reed, who sent a two-run single to right.

A two-run homer by Kentucky's Brooklin Hinz plated Mallory Peyton in the third to extend the advantage to 15-0.

The Hoosiers got on the board in the fourth inning on a two-out double by sophomore Katie Lacefield to send in Mykayla Ferrari, in pinch running for Westmoreland. Westmoreland led off the inning with a single down the right field line, her second knock of the day.

Indiana put one more on the board in the fifth, sparked by a two-out triple by Gabbi Jenkins to center. A Kentucky fielding error on a grounder from Blitz allowed Jenkins to score.

Redshirt sophomore Josie Wood took the loss for Indiana, as she allowed four runs in a third of an inning. Kentucky's Grace Baalman went all five innings for the Wildcats, striking out six. Senior Emily Kirk provided a bright spot for the Hoosiers in the circle as she tossed the final 1.2 frames, giving up no runs with just one hit.

The game marked the end of a 23-game road swing to start the season as Indiana will open up play at Andy Mohr Field Friday in the annual Hoosier Classic. IU will play UIC at 3 p.m. before battling Wisconsin-Green Bay at 5:30 p.m. Admission to all home games is free of charge.

"One thing we keep telling ourselves is there were some moments there that we can take as we move forward – Gabbi's triple, Lacefield with the clutch double, Kirk coming in and doing some nice things," said Stanton. "It will be refreshing to be home Friday then we start fresh next week in Big Ten play so there's a lot to look forward to."