Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your seats because the No. 18 Kentucky Softball team just pulled off an incredible victory against No. 8 Washington in extra innings! With dynamic pitching performances from Izzy Harrison and Alexia Lacatena, the Wildcats scored eight runs in the top of the eighth inning in a stunning offensive explosion that left fans speechless. And let’s not forget about Kayla Kowalik, who became the Kentucky Softball all-time hits leader with her incredible performance at the plate. Kowalik went 5-for-5 in the game, including her record-breaking 286th hit in the third at-bat of the game. Kowalick shot past a previous Wildcat, Leslie Kwaitkowsky, that had the record from her years on the team from 1998-2001.
The Wildcats didn’t have an easy ride, falling behind 2-0 early in the game. But they showed their resilience by scoring three unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take their first lead of the game. However, the Huskies fought back with a solo HR in the sixth to tie the game and send it to extras. But Kentucky wasn’t done yet. In the extra frame, they exploded for eight runs, batting around in the inning and putting the exclamation mark on their biggest win of the season.
Kentucky’s 11-3 victory over Washington was historic. It’s the third-most runs scored against a PAC-12 team in program history, and its most since scoring 12 on Oregon in the 2019 Clearwater Elite Invitational. It’s also the third-largest margin of victory for UK over a PAC-12 team. But the Wildcats weren’t done yet. In the nightcap, they faced San Diego State and came out on top with a 2-0 win. Stephanie Schoonover was the hero of the game, pitching a complete-game shutout and striking out 10 batters. This marked her fourth-straight outing in which she had struck out at least 10 batters in a starting assignment.
With these impressive back-to-back victories, Kentucky now has a record of 9-1-1 on the season. And get this – they’re undefeated against ranked teams on the season at 2-0-1! It’s truly a remarkable feat.
The Wildcats aren’t done yet though. They have a tough challenge ahead of them as they take on No. 1 UCLA on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wrigley Field. You won’t want to miss this epic matchup – it’s going to be a game for the ages. And if you can’t be there in person, make sure to tune in to FLOSoftball for the live stream. It’s going to be a wild ride!
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