March 9, 2010
Game Notes
| Cat Scratches: Pitching parade finally comes home | Live blog
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After beginning the 2010 season on the road for the first 19 games of the season, the Kentucky Wildcats will finally play within the friendly confines of the UK Softball Complex when it plays host to Louisville on Wednesday. Kentucky and Louisville both hold 14-5 records to open the season, with Louisville ranking in the top-20 at No. 18. First pitch is set for a 5 p.m. ET start.
Kentucky went 3-2 on the week at the Buzz Classic last week. Senior Natalie Smith was spectacular at the plate going 10-for-18 to lead the Blue and White. Fellow classmate Molly Johnson has matched her career high with a 10-game hitting streak. It marks the third consecutive season she has had a run of 10 games with at least one hit.
Sophomore right-hander Chanda Bell charted 30 strikeouts in three outings last week. She has now tipped her career total to over 300 strikeouts. That total makes her just the second player in school history to amass over 300 strikeouts in a career.
Louisville went 1-3 in Oklahoma last week, earning a win over Nevada. The Cardinals then dropped games to No. 25 Oklahoma State and two games to the 11th-ranked Sooners of Oklahoma.
The Cardinals are off to a 14-5 start to begin the season which includes two victories over then No. 15 BYU. The Cats and Cards have faced one similar opponent in Kansas to begin the year. Both squads claimed victories over the Jayhawks with Louisville earning a 10-2 win in the opening game of the season.
The Cardinals are led by Melissa Roth who is batting a team-best .537 with four home runs and 17 RBI. In the circle, Louisville has tossed three pitchers who own a 3.61 ERA as a unit.
The two Kentucky instate rivals will play a home-and-home series for the sixth consecutive season. The series favors the Wildcats by a 12-11 margin; however the Cardinals have taken the last five games in the series.
Live stats, a live blog and a full recap of the game with Louisville can be found by visiting UKathletics.com.
Promotions for the Kentucky-Louisville Softball Game
- Gates open at 4:00 pm
- Free UK Softball schedule posters for all fans in attendance
- Free UK Softball wristbands for the 1st 50 UK fans
- Free Papa John’s pizza for UK students (while supplies last…)
