The Michigan softball team's bats were oddly silent through the first five innings of its home matchup against Kentucky (11-14 SEC, 29-22 overall) on Friday night.

But the leadoff hitter of the sixth inning, centerfielder Bree Evans, lined the ball into the gap in right center for a triple. The throw to third from the second baseman was wild, and Evans darted home. She was initially called out at the plate, but after some discussion among the umpires, she was awarded the run on a base-path obstruction from the Kentucky third baseman.

It was only up from there, as Michigan (14-1 Big Ten, 39-6 overall) went on to win 5-4.

In the same inning, senior catcher Roya St. Clair hit a two-run bomb to left off the scoreboard, and senior designated player Nikki Nemitz concluded the scoring with a two-run double.

Through the first five innings, Wildcat pitcher Chanda Bell allowed only one hit — a single off the bat of Evans. By the end of the sixth, she had given up five runs on five hits.

Junior pitcher Jordan Taylor came away with the win. She gave up four runs on seven hits and struck out 10. Nemitz took the mound in relief in the seventh frame, and she received her first save of the season, striking out two.

The relief effort from Nemitz didn’t come without at scare, as Nemitz plunked the first batter she faced on the forearm. But she came back strong to give Michigan a victory against its first SEC opponent in nearly two months.