May 6, 2001

The University of Kentucky softball team has earned its second consecutive trip to the Southeastern Conference Tournament and will face the second-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks. The Wildcats enter the eight-team double-elimination tourney as the seventh seed, in front of eighth-seeded Auburn.

“It is obvious from the results this weekend that parity has struck the SEC,” UK coach Beth Kirchner said. “The upcoming tournament will be very exciting.”

UK will face the No. 21 (USA Today/NFCA) Gamecocks on Thursday, May 10, at 2 p.m. in the opening round at Jim Frost Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The Wildcats and Gamecocks played three regular-season contests in mid-April at the UK Softball Complex, with UK dropping the opening game 3-0, but bouncing back to take the final two games by scores of 2-1 and 6-5.