Cats in SEC Tournament for only the third time ever

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By Bill Nigut

After a season filled with broken records, Southeastern Conference and national awards and the second most wins in school history, the UK softball team is heading to its third-ever SEC Tournament.

The Cats wrapped up one of their best seasons with a series victory over SEC opponent South Carolina this weekend.

UK (31-20, 13-14 Southeastern Conference) carried momentum from an extra-inning victory on Saturday afternoon into the second game of its double-header, where its second win of the day guaranteed a series victory. However, the Cats struggled through Sunday and only plated two runs in a 9-2 defeat.

The series was UK’s last of the regular-season, and saw the Cats seal their second-ever 30-win season. UK head coach Rachel Lawson expressed that the achievement was important for the program, but noted that the current squad is focused only on moving forward and picking up more wins in the postseason.

“I don’t think about it being 30 wins,” Lawson said. “It just feels great to win and to have a chance to win every time we step on the field. We are so tough mentally and such a hard-working team and we really are playing hard.”

Last year, the Cats managed only three victories in SEC play. This year’s 13 wins represent the second-biggest turnaround in SEC history. In a preseason poll, the SEC coaches picked UK to finish dead last in the conference this season.

However, the Cats are seeded sixth in the conference and will face the No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs on May 7 in Knoxville, Tenn.

Although UK lost all three games against Georgia this year, junior Molly Johnson said that her team is ready to take them on again. She said that Sunday’s loss to South Carolina has helped them grow and see what they need to do to succeed.

“It builds our fire a little more,” Johnson said. “You can’t win everything and we know what we need to do. I don’t think it hurt us any, and it just made us realize how hard we will need to play.”

Lawson said she has seen her team grow tremendously over the course of the year and thinks they have a good chance in Knoxville.

The UK softball team celebrates a win over Kent State on March 24. They finished sixth in the Southeastern Conference, despite being picked to finish last in preseason polls by the coaches in the league. Photo by Zach Brake | Staff

“We’re a good team,” Lawson said. “We’ve continued to have good pitching, we’re doing some good stuff offensively, and we’re accomplishing great things. More than anything, it’s just great to see the girls smile.”