March 17, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Freshman pitcher Chanda Bell has been honored as the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week for the second time this season it was announced by the league offices Tuesday.
Bell earned three victories for the week, including a complete-game win over Auburn in game one of the series in helping Kentucky to the first SEC sweep in nine seasons. In that game, she matched her single-game school record with 15 strikeouts, which becomes the most strikeouts in an SEC game in UK history. She also reached double-digit strikeouts against Morehead St. and in the third game against Auburn. The right-hander has tossed 10 or more strikeouts in a game seven times this season.
She now ranks among UK’s all-time leaders in strikeouts and victories just 12 starts into her career. For the season she holds an impressive 10-3 record. The 10 victories rank ninth all-time in Kentucky’s record books, while her 120 strikeouts is sixth all-time and the fourth-best single season total in UK allure.
Bell also becomes just the second player in school history to win SEC Freshman of the Week honors. The only other player to achieve that feat was junior shortstop Molly Johnson.
Kentucky Receiving Votes in Both Top-25 Polls
For just the second time in school history, the Kentucky Wildcats are receiving votes in both top-25 polls tallied by ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll and the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll.
Kentucky earned four votes in the USA Today poll, while they notched two votes in the ESPN poll. The only other time UK received votes in a poll was in 2006 after the first week of the season when they defeated top-10 opponent Washington to open the season.
UK currently holds a 15-6 overall record which is the best start in school history through the first 21 games of the season besting the 13 victories won by the 2007 squad to open the year.
The Blue and White travels to Oxford, Ohio, to face Miami (OH) for a non-conference doubleheader this afternoon with the first pitch set for 2 p.m. ET.
