AUBURN, Ala. – Battling over three hours of weather delays, Auburn softball (23-14-1, 5-11 SEC) held on to a two-run lead, but a pair of late Kentucky (28-15, 6-10 SEC) home runs gave the Wildcats game one of the series 5-2 Friday night at Jane B. Moore Field.
"I didn't feel like either team really had control of the game," said head coach Mickey Dean. "We had our chances to take control but couldn't capitalize. We just didn't do enough offensively to put pressure on Kentucky. I don't think they were worried about us offensively. We just couldn't close those innings late in the game."
Five of the seven runs scored on Friday night were unearned while all five of Kentucky runs were scored with two outs. Anna Wohlers knocked Auburn's lone hit of the evening with a shot down the first base line in the fifth inning.
On her senior day, Shelby Lowe shined in the circle. She gave up just three hits and a pair of walks in four scoreless frames. She struck out six Wildcats. After an hour-and-38-minute delay in the bottom of the fourth inning, Lowe left the game once play resumed. Maddie Penta (13-8) tossed the final three games of the game and totaled three strikeouts.
After a pair of scoreless frames, Auburn took advantage of Kentucky miscues to take a 2-0 lead in the third inning without needing a hit. With Annabelle Widra on with a leadoff walk, Rose Roach put down a sacrifice bunt. An errant throw allowed Roach to reach safely and Widra to stand at third.
On a Roach stolen base attempt, an errant throw to the bag bounced to the outfield to bring in the go-ahead run of the Tigers and move Roach to third. KK McCrary cushioned the lead to 2-0 with a sacrifice fly to center.
A costly Auburn error extended the fifth inning for the Wildcats. Kentucky capitalized to plate three unearned runs off a Peyton Potts home run to take a 3-2 lead. A two-run homer in the seventh pushed the lead to 5-2.
Auburn had a chance late with bases loaded in the sixth but was unable to push across a run.
The Tigers look to even the series on Sunday. First pitch on the SEC Network is set for 6 p.m. CT.