March 15, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The 21st-ranked Kentucky softball team will hit the road for the first time in Southeastern Conference action beginning with a doubleheader at Arkansas, Wed., March 16. UK and the Razorbacks are set for a 5 p.m. ET first pitch at Bogle Park.
Kentucky is coming off a tremendous start to SEC action with a series win over previously-ranked No. 7 Tennessee this past weekend. UK earned its two wins over the Lady Vols in dramatic fashion. First Kentucky earned a career-day by sophomore Alice O’Brien who hit her first two career home runs including a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth to begin a five-run sixth inning rally for UK.
In the rubber-match game, the National Player of the Week Megan Yocke hit a two-out bottom of the seventh three-run homer to send the game into extra innings. Sophomore Kara Dill’s walk-off RBI-single clinched the series over the border state rivals for the first time since 2000.
Yocke led the charge for UK with a .556 batting average and a pair of multi-hit outings. Her three-run homer proved to be the difference maker in the series and she was honored for her efforts both nationally and in the conference.
The pitching tandem of Chanda Bell and Rachel Riley were equally impressive. The duo handcuffed the hot-hitting Lady Vols just enough for UK’s offense to turn up enough heat for the wins.
Earlier Tuesday, the Kentucky softball team achieved another monumental achievement. After being ranked in the top 25 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball for the last four weeks, UK received its highest ranking ever at No. 21 in that poll. Additionally, UK entered the NFCA/USA Today poll for the first time in school history with a No. 24 rating.
Arkansas enters the series with UK holding a 9-15 overall record and an 0-3 mark in league play. The Razorbacks dropped all three games to Auburn to begin SEC play this weekend.
Arkansas’s most impressive victory this season came when it defeated then ranked No. 1 UCLA in an early season tournament.
The Razorbacks are paced by four players batting over .300 including a duo who is charting a .333 average in Becca Carden and Courtney Breault. Carden leads the team with three homers and 15 RBI. As a unit, Arkansas owns a .274 batting average with 11 homers and 32 stolen bases.
In the circle, the Razorbacks have utilized four pitchers on the season. Kim Jones and Hope McLemore have both made 11 appearances on the season and 52 strikeouts. McLemore has charted the most victories with four wins in the circle.
Arkansas leads the overall series with the Cats with a 26-13 record, but UK captured the series a season ago by claiming two of the three games.
Complete coverage of the UK softball team can be found at UKathletics.com all season long.
