By Jordan Ondrof

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UK softball’s roller-coaster ride of a season comes to an end this weekend as it travels to face rival Tennessee.

The Cats, who started the season as the No. 6 ranked team in the nation, look to end their season with a win to build momentum heading into the SEC tournament. UK is on a three-game losing streak and has lost nine of its last 11 games.

UK’s recent losing streak is partially due to its difficult schedule. The Cats have faced the second-toughest schedule in the country, playing teams such as No. 14 Georgia, No. 3 Florida and No. 5 Alabama.

The Cats have also struggled in a tough SEC conference, posting a 5-16 record, which puts them in last place in the SEC Eastern Division.

After getting swept by Georgia last weekend, the Cats fell from No. 14 to No. 21, marking the first time they have been ranked outside of the top 20 since 2013.

Tennessee has posted a 17-4 record at home so far this season. The Lady Vols have a strong bullpen, which is led by junior Rainey Gaffin, who has posted a 9-2 record on the mound while also playing outfield for the Lady Vols. The Tennessee pitching staff has a combined 289 strikeouts on the season.

UK pitcher Kelsey Nunley is 12-13 this season with a 2.23 earned run average, taking a step back from a historic 2014 season where she posted a 30-11 record as a sophomore. Despite having a losing season, she was still able to become the winningest pitcher in UK history.

Junior Christian Stokes and senior Griffin Joiner lead the Cats at the plate. Stokes leads the team with a .329 batting average with Joiner just behind with a .315 average. The catcher, Joiner, is coming off a performance where she hit two home runs against Georgia on senior day to extend her team lead in home runs to 10 and runs batted in to 38.

The three-game series begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.