The No. 23 Kentucky softball team upset No. 3 Alabama 3-2 Sunday to capture the weekend series (2-1).
Here’s a recap from UK:
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – In the longest game in program history, the No. 23 Kentucky Wildcats got a sensational performance in the circle from junior Autumn Humes and a clutch RBI single in the top of the 13th from Alex Martens, as UK took the series in a Sunday thriller at No. 3 Alabama.
The Wildcats took a 2-0 lead early in the game off of Alabama starting pitcher Krystal Goodman. Abbey Cheek hit her 19th home run of the season in the top of the first inning and Bailey Vick scored on an RBI single from Katie Reed.
The game would remain 2-0 in favor of the Wildcats until the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Reagan Dykes doubled to tie the game on an RBI hit into left-center field.
After nobody could score in the seventh, the game went into extra innings. There were no true scoring threats for either side in the extra frames until the top of the 13th when the Wildcats put two runners on with one out after Reed singled and Cheek was intentionally walked – reaching base for the fourth time in the game thanks to a base on balls. Alex Martens then stepped up and delivered an RBI single back up the middle off of Montana Fouts to score Reed from second.
Winning pitcher Autumn Humes was nothing short of sensational in the circle for Kentucky, as she went 7.1 innings of relief, allowing only one hit to one of the best scoring offenses in the nation. Humes allowed just two walks and struck out four Bama batters on exactly 100 pitches thrown in the game.
Grace Baalman was UK’s starting pitcher, as she went 5.2 innings allowing eight hits, two runs, no walks and three strikeouts. Baalman was the winning pitcher in Friday night’s 4-1 win over No. 3 Alabama.
Sunday’s win marked Kentucky’s first win in extra innings this season, and was the first time this season the Wildcats won a rubber match in Southeastern Conference play. This weekend marked the second-ever series win over Alabama – as UK defeated the Tide two games to one in Tuscaloosa back in 2013.
With Sunday’s win, the Wildcats are now 32-19 overall on the season and finish SEC play at 14-10. It is the sixth time in the last nine seasons that UK has finished SEC play with a .500 record or above under head coach, Rachel Lawson.
Alabama, ranked No. 3 in both major polls and No. 8 in the NCAA RPI, falls to 47-6 on the year – and 15-6 in SEC play.
Kentucky’s bye week in the SEC is next weekend, as they will travel to No. 14 Texas Tech for a two-game series on Saturday and Sunday before making the short trip over to College Station for the 2019 SEC Tournament at Davis Diamond.
