No. 24 Kentucky softball split two games, going 1-1 on the opening day of the four-day Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational.
The first game of the day for the Wildcats saw freshman Carson Fall getting her first career win as the Cats defeated Wichita State 2-0.
Fall struggled with control early, but through four innings of scoreless work allowed only two hits and two walks.
Senior pitcher Alexia Lacatena came in for relief and maintained the shutout as she put away the final seven batters she faced in a row.
While the pitching was dominant, offense was difficult to come by for either team.
Despite having only two hits, Kentucky managed to take advantage of its leadoff hitters getting on base in four of its six opportunities and, through aggressive baserunning and some small ball, the team gave itself just enough of an edge.
Infielder Allie Blum, who came into the contest as the hottest bat for the Wildcats, continued her productive freshman campaign with a sacrifice fly and an RBI triple, making her responsible for both of Kentucky’s runs in game one.
After a little over an hour break in the action, Kentucky would take to the field once more to take on Virginia.
The offensive woes would continue for the Wildcats as, once again, they had only two hits and put up one run off a wild pitch.
Even making contact and putting the ball in play was a bit harder to come by in game two as well with Kentucky hitters striking out six times.
On the defensive side of the ball, a couple of unforced errors by the Cats and a pair of leadoff triples by Virginia’s Sarah Coon would propel the Hoos to a 4-1 victory.
Errors have been a bit of a nuisance for the Cats so far this season. After 13 errors in the opening weekend of the season, the team now has a total of 17 errors this season, putting it at 2.4 a game, something the team will have to address as the season goes on.
As for the offensive side of the ball, when Kentucky scores four or more runs, it is 4-0 so far this season and was 23-6 in 2024, so the recipe for success is clear.
Kentucky’s record now sits at 5-2, with two more games looming tomorrow, Feb. 14. The Wildcats will try to get their bats back on track to hit that magic number of four runs as they take on Clemson and No. 9 Oklahoma State.
