SOUTH BEND, Ind. - A bumpy regular-season road might have cast some doubts about whether Kentucky softball's freshmen would be able to contribute immediately in the NCAA Tournament.
Rachel Lawson, however, saw it coming.
"Well yeah, I recruited them," Lawson said.
A day after Rachael Metzger's pinch hit propelled UK into the winners' bracket on Friday, fellow first-year players Brooklin Hinz and Erin Rethlake combined for five hits, two runs and two runs batted in as the Wildcats coasted past Ball State on Saturday, 5-0. They gave more than enough support to ace Kelsey Nunley, who allowed just two hits and a walk and struck out seven in a complete-game shutout as the Cats moved into Sunday's South Bend Regional final.