No. 17/22 Kentucky completed a clean sweep of the Coach "B" Classic in Chattanooga, Tennessee with wins over Southern Illinois and Murray State on Saturday.
The wins improved the Cats record to 12-7 on the year and gave head coach Rachel Lawson her 500th career victory.
Lawson, already the Cats all-time wins leader previously coached the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
The Cats begin SEC play this Friday on the road against South Carolina.
Kentucky 6, Southern Illinois 5
Jenny Schaper's bases-loaded SAC fly in the bottom of the 7th inning saved the day for Kentucky after the Salukis rallied from a 5-2 hole in the top of the frame to tie the game.
The Cats starter, Grace Baalman, cruised through much of the game, but she had trouble closing the hosts out. She walked the first batter of the inning and then gave up a single, putting the base runners in scoring position. A fielder's choice cut UK's lead to two runs and then Jenny Jansen's two-run bomb tied the score.
The sophomore exited the game having thrown 6.1 innings. She gave up four earned runs off of eight hits while fanning seven SIU hitters.
Junior Autumn Humes (3-4) relieved Baalman and successfully retired the Saluki threat.
Kentucky built their lead with four runs on one hit in the bottom of the 1st inning after an SIU RBI single gave the Salukis their only lead of the game. A trio of walks loaded the bags for the Cats, and two runners scored thanks to a fielder's choice and a beanball. Mallory Peyton smashed in two more with her RBI double.
Peyton finished 1-of-3 at the plate.
Kentucky only had six hits as a team, lead by Katie Reed with two in three appearances in the batter's box.
The credit for that goes to SIU pitcher Brianna Jones, who stymied the Cats through four scoreless innings of relief before she finally faltered in the 7th inning.
The Cats Kelsee Henson gave a preview of things to come in the bottom of the 3rd inning with a bases-loaded RBI SAC fly.
Kentucky 14, Murray State 4
The Cats got a seven-run avalanche in the top of the 7th inning to put away the pesky Racers.
Leading 7-4, Senior Abbey Cheek started the rally with a solo homer, her fourth of the season. Later, with the bases loaded, Jenny Schaper drew a rare RBI walk. A Kayla Kowalik two-RBI double, Katie Reed's RBI single and another RBI double, this one from Mallory Peyton, capped the scoring.
Kowalik and Peyton were sensational at the bat. Kowalik had a team-high four hits and four RBI, including a triple that plated two Cats in the top of the 2nd. Peyton finished 2-of-2 with two RBI, her other one coming off her team-leading sixth home run in the top of the third.
Overall, Kentucky had 15 hits as a team, and six Cats had multi-hit games.
Autumn Humes (4-4) gave the Cats four solid innings of work in the circle. She gave up one earned run on six hits.
Freshman Megan Schorman earned the first save of her Kentucky career in three innings of relief. The Racers managed only two hits, and a earned run off of her.
