The University of Kentucky softball team will play its final non-conference games of the year when it hosts a doubleheader this Wednesday, Apr. 26, at the UK Softball Complex. UK will face Louisville in the opening game of the twin bill at 5 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. matchup against Eastern Kentucky.
The Cats and Cards faced off just a week ago in Louisville. UK defeated then-No. 21 UofL by a score of 3-2 on Katie Campbell?s two-run double in the sixth inning. Kentucky leads the all-time series with the Cardinals 11-5. The two teams split a doubleheader in 2005. UofL has won seven of its last 10 games to improve to 30-8 on the year.
UK and EKU have also already faced off this season. The Wildcats downed the Colonels by a final score of 8-2 in Richmond to take a 12-6 edge in the all-time series. The Colonels are currently 26-23 on the year. In the earlier matchup this season, Amy Kendall was impressive in the circle as she struck out seven batters, one shy of her career high, and walked just three.
Including those two victories, the Cats are 5-0 against Kentucky schools this season. UK has also defeated Morehead State this season and swept a doubleheader against Western Kentucky earlier this month in Lexington.
Kentucky is 21-28 on the year after defeating a pair of nationally ranked opponents last week. UK beat Louisville last Wednesday and then topped No. 24 Florida on Saturday in Gainesville. The Wildcats eclipsed their overall win total from 2005 and equaled their Southeastern Conference total with their fourth conference win against the Gators.
Three Cats are batting .300 or better this season, led by Campbell with a .328 average. Freshman Megan Miller follows with a .310 average in her first season as a Wildcat, while Brooke Marnitz is now hitting .306 on the year.
Campbell needs one home run to tie UK?s all-time leader. Amber Janneck holds the record with 19. Campbell has six homers this season, giving her 18 during her three seasons in the blue and white.
?Wednesday is going to be tough. We have got to focus,? said head coach Eileen Schmidt. ?UofL is coming off a really successful weekend in the Big East and Eastern played a tough series at UT- Martin. It?s important that we work on making the adjustments in the circle and at the plate so we are ready for the last two weeks of the conference season.?
