TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Kentucky Softball pitcher Sloan Gayan threw five complete innings in relief, allowing just one run on three hits and holding one of the nation’s best offenses at bay to pick up her first-career Southeastern Conference win as the No. 8 Kentucky Softball team powered past No. 3 Alabama to claim the Sunday finale of the series, 9-4.
The win for Kentucky is its fourth win over a ranked team this season, and Kentucky with the 9-4 win results in the first Southeastern Conference win for the Wildcats this season. UK improves to 20-5 on the season overall. Alabama, No. 3 in the nation, falls to 24-4 and is now 3-3 in SEC play this year.
Offensively, Kentucky pinned five earned runs off of Alabama’s Montana Fouts and four runs off of Lexi Kilfoyl as UK outhit the Tide, 12-6 in the game led by five UK players earning two or more hits. Kayla Kowalik, Erin Coffel, Miranda Stoddard, Kennedy Sullivan and Rylea Smith all had a pair of singles in the game as UK scored nine runs against Alabama.
Sloan Gayan pitched five innings of relief to pick up the win, after Izzy Harrison started the game and lasted two innings. Gayan went five complete innings for the second time this season and in her career. She allowed just three Alabama hits, one run, struck out a batter and faced 19 hitters with only one reaching third base in the game.
Kentucky will return to John Cropp Stadium on Tuesday night to play No. 1 Oklahoma in a Big XII/SEC midweek battle against the top-ranked Sooners. First pitch is at 7 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on the SEC Network with Kevin Brown and Michele Smith on the call.
