Kentucky continues slugfest in Boca Raton; rolls past Columbia 8-0

Kentucky softball continued its tear in Boca Raton, Florida on Friday afternoon, rolling over Columbia 8-0 in five innings.

The win improves the Wildcats to 3-0 in the FAU Strikeout Cancer Classic and 12-1 overall.

After a doubleheader sweep over Jacksonville and Florida Atlantic on Thursday, scoring a combined 19 runs, the Cats keep their foot on the gas against the Lions.

Hitting up and down the lineup

Nine different Wildcats recorded a hit against Columbia on Friday, totaling 11 as a team.

Left Fielder Lauren Johnson was the star of the show, going a perfect 3-3 at the plate, driving in one run while scoring twice herself.

Her three hits on the day improve her batting average to a team best .536 through 13 games.

After scoring eight first-inning runs on Thursday, UK got off to a hot start once again, tallying four runs in the top half of the first against the Lions.

Johnson bunted home catcher Kayla Kowalik to get UK on the board. Renee Abernathy would then single home Johnson two batters later to make it 2-0.

The cycle continued as right fielder Kennedy Sullivan drove in Abernathy, who was then singled home by Miranda Stoddard.

Columbia’s Kaia McCaul pitched three innings, allowing seven hits and six earned runs.

Kentucky added two more runs in the third inning thanks to a sacrifice fly by Sullivan and a single off the bat of Emmy Blane.

Lights out Lacatena

Alexia Lacatena took the circle for Kentucky on Friday, blanking the Lions with five innings of shutout softball. The Olympian struck out six while allowing four hits.

In seven appearances this season, Lacatena has pitched 16.2 innings, allowing just one earned run, good enough for a sub-0.60 ERA.

Her dominance wouldn’t just come on the rubber, as she provided her final insurance runs in the fifth inning, lacing a two-run triple.

After another scoreless half-inning, Kentucky claimed a 8-0 five-inning drubbing over its Ivy League foe.

Florida finale before home opener

Kentucky will conclude its participation in the Strikeout Cancer Classic on Saturday, taking on Long Island at 9 a.m. EST.

After the matchup against the Sharks, the Wildcats will return home to host the 2022 John Cropp Classic, where they will play four games in a three-day span from March 3-5, taking on Michigan twice, Drake and Kent State.