April 28, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 15 Kentucky softball team was unable to play its midweek doubleheader with Ole Miss on Wednesday due to heavy rains and will return to Southeastern Conference action at No. 6 Alabama for a three-game series beginning Friday. First pitch on Friday is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Kentucky (35-11, 13-7 SEC) currently is one win shy of matching a single-season record for wins in a year. UK is two SEC victories shy of matching the school-record for conference victories in a year. UK has already clinched a spot in the SEC Tournament, marking a school-best third-straight season Kentucky will be among the field of eight teams deciding a conference title. The Wildcats have six remaining league games in the regular season and are still in the midst of fighting for seeding in the tournament.
Kentucky’s power numbers have been a major part of the successful 2011 run. Three different players have charted 10 or more home runs on the year led by junior Brittany Cervantes’ 14. Senior Meagan Aull’s offensive production has been equally impressive as Aull has at least one hit in all but six games this season for the Blue and White.
Alabama leads the all-time series with the Wildcats, but the squads did split in a doubleheader a season ago. UK plated five runs in the sixth inning to come back and win the nightcap a year ago led by home runs from Cervantes and Megan Yocke.
Alabama enters the series with UK holding a 42-7 overall record and a 16-6 mark in SEC action. The Tide currently are ranked No. 6/7 in the nation and have remained in the top-10 all season long.
The Tide bats .312 as a unit with Kayla Braud leading the way with a .439 clip. She has notched 14 extra base hits and 25 walks on the year. Three Bama players have gone yard 10 or more times this season with 13 coming from the bat of Jackie Traina.
In the circle, Alabama has the reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year in Kelsi Dunne. The right-hander owns a 1.22 ERA with 246 strikeouts tossed on the year and a 21-3 record. She is limiting opposing batters to a mere .133 batting clip. Traina is 16-4 in the circle with a 1.48 ERA and 156 strikeouts on the year.
Complete coverage of the UK softball team can be found at UKathletics.com all season long.
