April 13, 2010
Cat Scratches: Rock-solid Yocke the hidden gem of UK softball
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Fresh off of a series sweep of Southeastern Conference foe South Carolina, the Kentucky softball team returns to the field in a mid-week contest with in-state rival Western Kentucky University, Wednesday. First pitch is set for a single game at 6 p.m. ET at the UK Softball Complex.
Kentucky (25-16) earned two wins over the Lady Toppers in Bowling Green, Ky., last season. WKU enters the meeting with the Wildcats possessing a 24-14 overall record including wins over Virginia Tech, Penn State and Florida Atlantic.
UK had a tremendous weekend in earning three consecutive wins over South Carolina behind a balanced offensive attack and steady pitching. Sophomore pitcher Chanda Bell topped her own single-season UK record when she recorded 19 strikeouts in 10 innings of work over the Gamecocks to run her season strikeout total to 228 on the year.
In the first game of the series, Kentucky achieved a season-high with 11 runs scored. UK got a big lift from junior catcher Megan Yocke who drilled her second career grand slam in the second inning. Yocke added another RBI later in the contest with a sacrifice fly to set a career-high with five RBI in a single game.
Kentucky needed a comeback effort to take the second game of the series as the Gamecocks took a lead late in the game, but UK rallied for a run in the fifth and two tallies in the bottom of the sixth to earn a 4-3 victory. Yocke once again delivered a timely RBI with a perfectly executed suicide-squeeze that plated senior Molly Johnson.
Senior Destinee Mordecai and junior Meagan Aull both blasted solo home runs to lead Kentucky to an 8-0 series sweep of the Gamecocks on Sunday. Bell struck out 10 and threw four perfect innings after allowing a first-inning single in her first career one-hitter.
Senior Natalie Smith was tremendous in the weekend series with the Gamecocks. Smith was 7-for-10 in the three games with a pair of doubles, four runs scored and four RBI.
The WKU softball team picked up three non-conference victories last week sweeping Belmont 11-0 and 8-1 and splitting a doubleheader with Evansville. WKU won game one 6-0 before falling in game two 2-1. The Lady Toppers are led by Mallorie Sulaski who is batting .419 on the season with 14 RBI and nine extra base hits. Katrina Metoyer has swiped 10 bases on the year to pace the squad in that category.
In the circle, Kim Wagner has made 24 appearances and owns a 14-5 record. She holds a 1.54 ERA with 86 strikeouts on the year. Batters are hitting a mere .226 against Wagner and she has given up just 27 earned runs and five home runs on the season. Live video streaming and live stats of the game with the Lady Toppers are available at UK’s official site UKathletics.com.
Following the contest, the UK Athletics Staff will participate in a Home Run Derby. Several UK staff members including head women’s basketball coach Matthew Mitchell, reigning 2009 champion Larry Cash of the K Fund and members from the football, strength and conditioning, volleyball, baseball, marketing, event management, sports turf and media relations staffs are set to participate. Softball coach Rachel Lawson will serve as the competition’s pitcher.
Western Kentucky Promotions
– Wear your BLUE!
– UK Student Night – Free UK Nike shirts for the first 50 UK students
– UK Faculty and Staff Night – Free admission for UK faculty and staff and up to three guests
– UKAA Staff Appreciate Day and post-game home run derby
