(Photo Courtesy of Kentucky Athletics)
AUSTIN, Texas – Seniors Emily Jolly and Krystal Smith posted multiple-RBI games, while junior Griffin Joiner blasted her sixth home run of the season as the No. 7/9 University of Kentucky softball team advanced to the championship of the 2014 Texas Classic with a 6-3 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday night at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin, Texas.
The win advances Kentucky (9-0) to the championship game of the Texas Classic, where it will face No. 15/16 Texas on Sunday at 11 a.m. ET. Kentucky and Texas met Friday afternoon with the Wildcats outlasting the Longhorns 6-4. UK leads the all-time series against Texas 2-0. Kentucky’s win over LaTech continued its program-best start to a season.
Live stats from the championship game will be available at UKathletics.com, while it will also be aired live on the Longhorn Network. Check local listings for channel information.
The Kentucky offense was held hitless for three innings until Joiner hammered her sixth home run of the season to give Kentucky a 1-0 lead it would not relinquish. Joiner, who extended her career-long, nine-game hitting streak in the win, finished 1-for-3 with a RBI and run scored. Jolly went 1-for-2 in the game with a two-run home runs, her third homer of the year, while Smith went 1-for-3 with a two-RBI single. Senior Ginny Carroll went 1-for-3 in the game with a run scored and has now reached base safely in all nine games in 2014.
Sophomores Christian Stokes and Darington Richardson each had a hit in the game with Richardson recording her first career RBI.
Sophomore pitcher Kelsey Nunley earned the win to move to 4-0 on the season. The native of Soddy Daisy, Tenn., went the distance allowing nine hits and three earned runs with two strikeouts. LaTech’s Bianca Duran picked up the loss allowing two runs on two hits through four innings, while Pauline Tufi and Anna Cross each allowed two runs in innings of work.
After Joiner’s homer gave UK a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, the Wildcat offense posted three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to take control of the game. The fifth inning started with a leadoff single by Carroll, who moved to second on a groundout and third and a deep fly out to centerfield. Richardson singled through the right side of the infield to earn an RBI before Jolly hammered her home run to put UK up 4-0.
After a three-run top of the sixth inning for LaTech, which was spearheaded by a two-run single by Alayna Kipp, UK increased its lead back to three with two unearned runs in the sixth inning. Stokes started the inning with a single before Joiner reached on a fielder’s choice with Stokes safe at second after the second baseman dropped the ball on the base. A groundout and fly out brought up Smith, who singled down the rightfield line to give UK a 6-3 lead.
