Kentucky Heads to Richmond for Midweek Showdown with EKU
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Following a crucial Southeastern Conference win over No. 16 Alabama on Saturday afternoon, the No. 19 Kentucky softball team will set its sights on Eastern Kentucky as the Wildcats will travel to Richmond to face the Colonels on Tuesday night.
First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. ET from Gertrude Hood Field on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond. The game is EKU’s Suicide Prevention Game. It will be shown live on the Ohio Valley Conference Digital Network online.
Tuesday night’s game begins a stretch of four games over the next five calendar days for the Wildcats. Wednesday, UK hosts Louisville before a two-game weekend series on Friday and Saturday against Middle Tennessee at John Cropp Stadium.
Kentucky currently sits 20-11 overall on the season, and is 3-8 in Southeastern Conference action. The Wildcats are slotted at No. 19 in both national polls and are No. 26 in Monday’s release of the ratings percentage index (RPI). UK has played 12 of its last 14 games against teams ranked inside of the top-16 in the national rankings.
Eastern Kentucky enters Tuesday’s game with a 20-11 overall record, as well. The Colonels are four games deep into OVC play and are 3-1 in those games thus far. EKU has won eight of the nine games played at Hood Field this season including three of the last four overall. The Colonels were on a bye this past weekend after a Monday afternoon doubleheader split with Austin Peay.
The leading hitter for EKU is Paige Murphy, who is batting .440 on the season with 30 runs scored and 22 runs batted in. As a team, EKU is hitting .286 and is outscoring its opponents by 73 runs this year. In the circle the Colonels have relied primarily on Mollie Paulick who is 7-4 with a 2.65 ERA. Paulick has three complete games this season in her 14 starts and one shutout win.
The Wildcats continue to be paced offensively by Bailey Vick and her sparkling .419 average on the season. Vick has been hot the last few games along with Katie Reed, who is batting .384 on the season and has hit home runs in two of the last four SEC games against No. 11 Auburn and No. 16 Alabama.
In the circle, Kentucky continues to have a balanced attack led by freshman Grace Baalman and her 2.09 ERA. Baalamn threw five complete innings against Alabama on Sunday without allowing an earned run, and is 10-4 on the season picking up Saturday’s win over the Tide. Autumn Humes is 5-4 on the season with a 2.72 ERA and also Erin Rethlake, who threw a complete game over the Colonels in Richmond last year, is 5-3 with a 3.77 ERA an picked up her first close of the season on Saturday against Alabama.
For the latest on UK Softball, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @UKSoftball.
