Kentucky had three chances to close game, falls in 11 innings
TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 10 Kentucky softball team saw errors come at bad times, and squandered three chances to close out the game going into the bottom of an inning, but it was the resilient No. 23 Arizona State Sun Devils who came up with a two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th to win the game 7-5 on Saturday night in 11 innings.
Grace Baalman allowed just two hits through 6.2 innings pitched before an error in the Kentucky outfield cost the Wildcats the chance to close things out in the bottom of the seventh as ASU tied the game on the play.
In the international tiebreak, Kentucky scored three times in the top of the eighth, and with two outs, had the Sun Devils down 4-1 before a three-run home run was hit to right center to tie the game.
In the top of the 10th, Kentucky scored a run on Rylea Smith’s sacrifice fly, but the Sun Devils responded with a sac fly of their own to make it a 5-5 game headed to the 11th. In the 11th, UK was unable to score and ASU hit the game-winning home run with one out to walk it off.
Kentucky will close the weekend at the Littlewood Classic on Sunday morning against Detroit Mercy.
Key Stat
11. The 11-inning game is the longest of the season for Kentucky.
Key Play
The key play in the game was the walk-off home run by Arizona State’s Alynah Torres in the bottom of the 11th inning
Key Player
Grace Baalman was the key player in the game, recording a career-high 11 strikeouts.
Run Recap
Kentucky struck first on an RBI sacrifice fly by Alex Martens in the top of the fourth. UK 1, ASU 0
The score would remain 1-0 until the Sun Devils caught a break off of a Kentucky error in right field with two outs in what would have been the game-ending play. UK 1, ASU 1
In the top of the eighth, Bailey Vick laid down a bunt single and she and Kayla Kowalik came around to score on a hit from Rylea Smith. Smith scored on a wild pitch and the Wildcats would take a 4-1 lead to the bottom of the eighth. UK 4, ASU 1
With two on and two outs, Arizona State tied the game on a three-run home run as the Sun Devils were down to their final out for the second time in the game and came through in the clutch. UK 4, ASU 4
Both teams executed a sacrifice in the 10th inning to score a run. UK 5, ASU 5
After UK was unable to score in the top of the 11th, Arizona State got a walk-off home run from Alynah Torres to win the game with one out and a runner on third. FINAL – Arizona State 7, Kentucky 5