AUBURN, Ala. – Defensive errors was the deciding factor in Sunday's series finale at Jane B. Moore Field as No. 12 Kentucky (30-10, 6-9 SEC) scored four unearned runs to keep Auburn softball (25-13, 5-10 SEC) from completing the series sweep in a 5-1 victory.
"Pitching and defense can put you in a position to win the game, the only way you can win the game is on offense," said head coach Mickey Dean. "Today, our defense did not give us an opportunity to win the game. That would've been a 1-1 ballgame going into the 6th and 7th innings if we had played clean defense."
Alyssa Rivera ended the shutout bid, slugging her second home run of the series. She closed Sunday going 2-for-3 with her solo homer. Tyler King continued to string the hits together as she turned in her third multi-hit outing in the last four games, going 2-for-4 Sunday.
Shelby Lowe (12-4) was tagged with Sunday's loss. She tossed five innings and allowed just four hits. Lowe was charged with four runs, but only on was earned. Lowe issued one walk and struck out six in the appearance.
After retiring six straight, Lowe gave up her first base runner with a walk to lead off the third inning. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runner into scoring position, an Auburn error on a second Kentucky bunt allowed a run to score. Tatum Spangler made it a 2-0 game with a sacrifice fly to left.
Lowe answered back by retiring the next seven batters she faced to hold the game at 2-0 until the sixth inning. Kayla Kowalik and Spangler led off the sixth with a pair of hits, forcing Auburn to bring KK Dismukes into the game in relief.
Dismukes forced a ground ball to Justus Perry. Perry flipped to Abby Tissier to make the tag out at home plate for the first out of the sixth. Dismuke recorded the second out of the inning with a strike out.
A costly error in the outfield brought in a pair of Kentucky runs to extend the lead to 4-0. Erin Coffel drove a single to left to drive in the fifth Wildcat run of the game.
Rivera led off the sixth with a solo home run to right center to right the Tigers on the board, but that was all the offense the Tigers could scratch across.
Dismukes tossed the final two innings of the game, allowing three hits. She struck out one and gave up one unearned run.
"The most important game is the next one we're going to play," said Dean. "Just like you can't spend the next three days kicking yourself for a loss, you can spend the next few days patting yourself on the back for a win. We have to move forward and take care of business."
TIGER TRACKS
- Alyssa Rivera picked up her 128th RBI of her career. She is just now four away from jumping Ashley Moore (1999-02) for eighth all-time in program history. Rivera also recorded her 196th base hit in her career.
- Rivera slugged her second home run of the season and the 30th of her Auburn career.
- Alyssa Rivera recorded her second multi-hit game of the season and the 49th of her Auburn career.
- Tyler King recorded her team-leading eighth multi-hit game of the season. It was her 13th of her Auburn career.
ON DECK
The Tigers round out nonconference play on Wednesday with their final midweek game of the season. Auburn travels to Chattanooga for a 3 p.m. CT in Tennessee.