Mackenzie Oslanzi shuts down Northern Kentucky 6-0

Lance Roth, Sports Reporter

April 19, 2026

Kentucky first basemen Karissa Hamilton, left, hugs shortstop Maddy Clark during the softball game against Louisville on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky. Kentucky lost 8-7. Photo by Scout Tarquinio | Kentucky Kernel

Mackenzie Oslanzi’s shutout performance propels Kentucky (25-22, 1-16 SEC) to a 6-0 win over Northern Kentucky (16-22, 5-7 HL).

Oslanzi turned in her best performance on the mound so far this season. The right handed pitcher pitched all seven innings while recording five strikeouts, getting her fourth win of the season.

“It feels really good,” Oslanzi said. “I have yet to do that this season, so I’m really proud of myself and my team, because they helped me as well, couldn’t do it without them.”

Efficient from the start, Oslanzi only needed 88 pitches to make it through the game with 66 of her pitches being strikes.

Her pace lasted throughout the game. Staying ahead of the count, recording quick outs and short innings, Oslanzi kept the NKU offense stagnant, limiting their potential to generate offense.

The Norse got runners on with four hits on the day, all for singles. No walks made it a challenge for NKU, stranding six runners left on base throughout the game.

Despite the strong performance, it wasn’t overpowering with the defense coming in strong behind Oslanzi. NKU stepped-up to the plate 25 times with 21 putouts from the Wildcats during the game.

No extended at-bats for the Norse put them under constant pressure. With the pitch count staying low, NKU was unable to generate any momentum in the in-state matchup.

With her performance, Oslanzi has moved up to the second best ERA on the team with it improving almost by one, now sitting at a 3.77 compared to a 4.70 before the game started.

“It feels great,” Oslanzi said. “Our strongest attribute is our defense and pitching, and we take that to every game and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

When stepping into the circle in the seventh, the game was already near decided with Kentucky’s offense backing Oslanzi throughout.

With 12 hits on the day, including home runs from Reaghan Oney and Carly Sleeman, led the Wildcats offensive charge.

Kentucky will look to carry that momentum back into SEC play as it continues to search for its first conference win since opening league play with a victory.