April 23, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. – With just two weeks remaining in the regular season the Kentucky softball team is in position for a post-season berth. In the home series finale UK will welcome Mississippi State for a huge three-game SEC series. Both teams are fighting for a spot in the SEC tournament with six games remaining on the conference slate.
The two teams will battle in a doubleheader on Friday afternoon with a single game set for Saturday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET on Friday and a Noon start on Saturday.
Saturday will also mark the final home game for senior Katie McCarty who will be honored prior to the start of the game. In four seasons with the Blue and White she has started 47 games in her career, including 34 at third base. Her career highlight was belting the game-winning two-run home run to beat Western Kentucky during her sophomore season. As a senior she is having her best statistical season with a career-high batting average and runs batted in. Additionally, as a junior she earned All-SEC Academic team honors.
Kentucky (26-18, 8-13) is fresh off a dominating 7-0 victory over Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday. Freshman Rachel Riley did it all for the Blue and White. Riley earned the shutout victory on the mound and charted a career-high six strikeouts. The dual-threat player also struck for Kentucky’s winning run when she hit her first career home run in the second inning. Fellow freshman Brittany Cervantes then drove in three runs with her team-leading seventh round tripper of the season in UK’s easy win.
Mississippi State (24-23, 6-16) split with Auburn in another important SEC series on Wednesday. The Bulldogs took the opening game by a 2-1 score that needed 10 innings to decide. Auburn came back and took the second game by an 8-3 margin.
Chelsea Bramlett, an All-SEC performer a season ago, is once again doing the most damage at the plate and in the base paths for MSU. Bramlett is hitting a blistering .483 and has swiped an incredible 47 bases this season. On the mound, Lindsey Dunlap has seen most of the work for Jay Miller’s squad. Dunlap is 15-13 overall with a 2.96 ERA. She has recorded 143 strikeouts on the year.
Kentucky currently holds the seventh seed for a spot in the conference tournament and has six games remaining. Mississippi State is also vying for a berth as no conference member is mathematically out of contention with two weeks remaining in the season.
Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information about the UK softball team.
Saturday, April 25 vs. Mississippi State – Noon
- Senior Day
- FREE UK Softball trading cards for the first 50 fans
- Arrive early to play on the inflatable games (weather permitting)
