As of 2:53 p.m. ET, game one has been suspended for rain after 5 1/2 innings with LSU leading 5-2.
April 23, 2010
Game Notes
| Cat Scratches: Seniors sacrificed for the betterment of the program
LEXINGTON, Ky. – With just three weeks of the regular season remaining, the Kentucky softball team will wrap up its home schedule this weekend with a three-game series against No. 12 LSU. The weekend series will be surrounded by Senior Day festivities for UK’s five members of the 2010 class in Molly Johnson, Amber Matousek, Destinee Mordecai, Natalie Smith and Jennifer Young.
UK and LSU will meet for a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Sunday’s single game has a Noon ET start time.
Kentucky sits in prime position of making its second straight appearance at the SEC Tournament with six conference games remaining. UK is also just one win shy of posting consecutive 30-win seasons. It would mark the first time in school history that feat would be accomplished.
UK took a break from league action on Wednesday, and earned two five-inning wins over visiting Austin Peay. Junior Megan Yocke led the way with a perfect 6-for-6 day at the plate to accompany four RBI on the day. Matousek and sophomore Chanda Bell earned wins in the circle for the Wildcats.
LSU currently holds an impressive 36-10 overall record and a 14-5 mark in Southeastern Conference action. The Tigers are just a game back of Alabama for first place in the SEC Western Division. LSU is led at the plate by Kristen Shortridge who is batting .406 with 23 RBI. Ashley Langoni leads the team with nine home runs.
LSU’s strength lies within the pitching rotation as the squad boasts a league-leading 1.31 ERA. Freshman Rachele Fico paces the rotation with a 1.14 ERA and a 14-4 overall record. She has also fanned 116 batters on the year.
LSU leads the overall series with the Wildcats by a 26-2 margin, but UK was able to get one of those victories a season ago in Baton Rouge, La.
Kentucky trailed 5-0 through four innings in the second game of a doubleheader, and then proceeded to find some offense as they mounted an improbable 6-5 eight-inning comeback victory to upset No. 19/22 LSU.
Down by three going into the top of the seventh, Molly Johnson came up with a huge single to start the inning in the lead off slot. Meagan Aull followed with a walk to place each of the first two batters on a bag. In a spectacular display of heads-up base-running, Johnson was able to maneuver to third after Megan Yocke sent a ball right to the third baseman. The Tigers were unable to get their throw to the bag in time as the speedy Johnson slid in safely to load the bases on the fielder’s choice. With a single out on the scoreboard after a strikeout, Natalie Smith delivered the biggest hit of her junior campaign with a double that laced the right-field line to bring in the tying runs.
Aull posted a sacrifice fly for the game’s winning run in the top of the eighth inning. Pitcher Chanda Bell earned the win with two flawless innings in relief.
Complete coverage of the Wildcat softball team can be found at UKathletics.com.
