SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara softball team opened their home schedule, falling 10-2 to Kentucky on Tuesday afternoon. UC Santa Barbara managed six hits, including two doubles, while Kentucky capitalized on three errors to secure the victory.
FROM HEAD COACH JO EVANS
"We hurt ourselves in the second inning, defensively, not getting some outs," Evans stated. "My biggest thing is I don't want our team to get discouraged. We've got some steady, upperclassmen that are going to be in the lineup, but we've got some younger players who I think can help us win ballgames."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Kentucky opened the game by taking the lead in the first inning with an RBI single, making it 1-0. UC Santa Barbara responded with
Tehya Banks' single, but the inning ended without further advancement, leaving the score 1-0 in favor of the Wildcats.
In the second inning, UK capitalized on errors to extend its lead. Following back-to-back singles, a throwing error allowed two runs to score. Additional errors resulted in two more unearned runs, pushing the Wildcats ahead 5-0. UC Santa Barbara's
Ainsley Waddell hit a double, but the team was unable to convert, keeping the score 5-0.
The fourth inning saw UC Santa Barbara get on the board. After the 'Cats added two more runs with a two-run home run, UC Santa Barbara answered.
Giselle Mejia's single and Waddell's walk set the stage for
Emily Carr's double, driving in two runs and narrowing the gap to 7-2 by the end of the inning.
The Wildcats extended their lead in the fifth inning, scoring three more runs. Despite UC Santa Barbara's
Jazzy Santos and
Bella Fuentes each securing hits in the bottom of the inning, the team was unable to rally further. UK emerged victorious, with a final score of 10-2.
UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara will head north to compete in the Silicon Valley Classic from Friday, Feb. 13, through Sunday, Feb. 15. The Gauchos will compete against host schools San Jose State and Santa Clara, along with Illinois State, Cal and Utah.
