AUBURN, Ala. – With traffic on the bases in the sixth and seventh innings, Auburn softball's (23-15-1, 5-12 SEC) rally fell short as No. 24 Kentucky (29-15,7-10 SEC) claimed the series with a 2-1 win Sunday night at Jane B. Moore Field.
"It comes down to timely hitting," said head coach Mickey Dean. "The team that gets the timely hits wins the ball game. They got it, and we didn't."
In a pitcher's duel between Maddie Penta and Kentucky's Sydney Langdon, both teams were held to just two hits on Sunday, but it was the Wildcats that took advantage with runners in scoring position.
With two on via walks in the fourth inning, Karissa Hamilton knocked a two-out single up the middle to plate a pair of runs to break the stalemate. The Tigers were held hitless until the sixth when Amelia Lech led off the frame with a solo home run to left field, cutting the game to one run. It was her team-leading 10th homer of the season.
The Tigers would go on to put two in scoring position with the help of a Mariah Penta single but were unable to push across any additional runs. Auburn also put had the tying run on base in the seventh with a two-out walk issued to Icess Tresvik, but Langdon's fifth strikeout ended the game.
Penta (13-9) went the distance and allowed just six Wildcats to reach base off two singles and four walks. She struck out nine in the contest.
Monday's finale is set for 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.