Abernathy’s Five RBI Overpower Ohio in 16-8 Win Thursday

Wildcats win fourth in a row

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Renee Abernathy had a 3-for-3 day at the plate Thursday with five runs batted in as the No. 9 Kentucky Softball team beat Ohio 16-8 in five innings in the opening game of the 2022 Bluegrass Classic

All three of Abernathy’s hits Thursday afternoon were RBI hits, as she recorded a three-run home run, an RBi single in the bottom of the fourth, and a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to secure the 16-8 win as Lauren Johnson scored from third.

With Thursday’s win over the Bobcats, Kentucky improves to 17-2 on the season. Ohio falls to 4-11.

Kentucky will play two games Friday at the John Cropp Classic with a 10 a.m ET start against the Buffalo Bulls and a 5 p.m. ET start against the Valpo Beacons. Both games will be broadcasted on the SEC Network+, ESPN3 and the ESPN app.

Key Play

The key play in the game was Renee Abernathy’s three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning as part of a nine-run scoring frame for the Wildcats.

Key Player

Abernathy was the key player in the game, going 3-for-3 at the plate and crossing five runs for the Wildcats on runs batted in. The Springfield, Illinois native is now hitting .362 on the season.

Key Stat

Nine. Kentucky scored nine runs in the bottom of the second inning, tying the most runs its scored in a single inning this season (vs. UC Santa Barbara).