A 20-win pitcher. A rare league shutout. Kentucky advances in SEC softball tourney.
Fifth-year senior pitcher Autumn Humes struck out 10 batters on just 87 pitches Wednesday night as the sixth-seeded University of Kentucky softball team blanked No. 11 seed Georgia 3-0 to advance to Thursday’s Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Humes picked up her 20th win, becoming the third different UK pitcher to record at least 20 in a single season, joining Kelsey Nunley (2013, 2014, 2016) and Meagan Prince (2016, 2017).
UK was to face third-seeded Alabama (42-7) in Thursday night’s quarterfinals.
Humes’ shutout was a Kentucky pitcher’s first against an SEC opponent since April 22, 2019, vs. Auburn. In facing 26 batters over seven innings, Humes allowed three hits and walked two.
Kayla Kowalik and Erin Coffel, who both earned All-SEC recognition this week, went 2-for-3 at the plate as Kentucky put together nine hits. Coffel and Renee Abernathy drove in a run each in the first and fourth innings, and Miranda Stoddard finished things off with a home run in the fifth.
SEC Tournament results, schedule
At Tuscaloosa, Ala.
All times Eastern
Tuesday
No. 13 seed South Carolina 3, No. 12 Auburn 1
Wednesday
No. 9 Mississippi State 3, No. 8 Mississippi 1
No. 5 LSU 7, No. 13 South Carolina 3
No. 7 Tennessee 3, No. 10 Texas A&M 2
No. 6 Kentucky 3, No. 11 Georgia 0
Thursday
No. 1 Florida 6, No. 9 Mississippi State 2
No. 4 Missouri (37-14) vs. No. 5 LSU (32-18)
No. 2 Arkansas (40-8) vs. No. 7 Tennessee (40-12), (n)
No. 3 Alabama (42-7) vs. No. 6 Kentucky (39-12), (n)
Friday
4 p.m.: Back-to-back semifinal games begin
Saturday
6 p.m.: Championship game
TV
Championship and semifinals on ESPN2. All other games on SEC Network.
