UK softball dominates in Boca
Pitcher Erin Rethlake pitches the ball during the game against No. 1 LSU on Sunday, March 29, 2015 in Lexington, Kentucky.
February 26, 2017
After a relatively shaky start to the season, UK softball team took Boca Raton, Florida, by storm, sweeping the weekend with a perfect 5-0 record. They averaged more than six and a half runs a game, scoring a monstrous 12 in their final game of the weekend, a shutout against Memphis on Sunday.
The Cats didn’t have any trouble with their opponents either, averaging a run differential of 5.6 for the weekend.
These are the Cats that coach Rachel Lawson was bragging about so much at the beginning of the season, and while they weren’t all top 10 teams that the Cats beat, they were displays of athleticism and skill by a talented team that expects to compete with the best, especially as the conference schedule begins.
The weekend opened with a strong defensive showing against Connecticut, holding the Huskies to a .130 batting average, as well as only allowing two total runs. Brooklin Hinz and Erin Rethlake led the way for the Cats, with two runs and two RBI.
After the win over the Huskies, UK matched up with Florida A&M for the third time this season, notching their third straight win against the Rattlers, 2-0, for their second shutout of the season. The first shutout was also against Florida A&M.
The real dominance began Saturday, as UK piled on 17 runs in two games. A 9-1 thrashing of the Memphis Tigers and a 6-2 victory over the hosts, Florida Atlantic.
It’s hard to lose when your team hits .500, and that’s exactly what the Cats did, netting 25 hits on the day. Katie Reed contributed five hits of her own, helping to propel the rest of the team.
The Cats cleaned up the weekend in their most dominant game all season, the 12-run shutout of the now 4-6 Tigers. Rethlake is now 3-0 on the season on the mound for the Cats, showing her consistent contribution to the team.
UK will play in Carbondale, Illinois for its next game against NIU on Friday, March 3rd.