Kentucky Softball Starts Off Hot On Opening Day

Kentucky softball, feeding off the warm Florida weather, started the 2025 season off hot with two wins on opening day. The Wildcats are competing in the NFCA Lead-Off Classic in Clearwater, FL this weekend, playing a total of five games across three days.

Quick Start to the Day

Kentucky shut out Pittsburgh 7-0 to grab their first win of the season. It was a dominant performance by the ‘Cats from start to finish, led by Lacatena’s phenomenal pitching.

Alexia Lacatena pitched all seven innings, only allowing four hits and zero earned runs. The senior added three strikeouts as well.

The offense was clicking early in the 2nd inning for the Kentucky. Hallie Mitchell started the rally with an RBI ground out. Then, with two runners in scoring position, Emory Donaldson got her first career hit by blasting a line-drive triple that brought in two runs. Donaldson eventually scored from third base on a passed ball to end the inning leading 4-0. 

Kentucky was steady offensively the entire game, but could not score again until the 5th inning when freshman Allie Blum smashed her first collegiate home run in the blue and white. Blum also had a magnificent diving catch in left field earlier in the inning.

BOMBS AWAY!!😼😼😼

Freshman Allie Blum hits her first career HR with the Cats!!

5-0, Bot 5th pic.twitter.com/kNnPy7GsxB

— Eleanor Beavin (@EBeavinKSR) February 7, 2025

Onto the 6th, Karissa Hamilton was subbed in to pinch hit with a runner on second for Kentucky.  She rattled off a huge RBI double and then advanced to third base on a throwing error. Hamilton scored on a wild pitch, bringing the final score to 7-0.

Bat Cats Show Offensive Power

In the second game of the day, Kentucky run-ruled Notre Dame 12-4 in five innings of play. Every Wildcat in the lineup recorded a hit against the Fighting Irish to start the season 2-0.

Kentucky went down 2-0 early after multiple fielding errors. But when the Wildcats got their chance to bat, they left no doubt of a win, scoring eight runs in the first inning.

Lead-off hitter Ally Hutchins started with a double and was brought in by an RBI single from McKenzie Bump. Later, Cassie Reasner smoked a grounder past the Notre Dame third baseman for a RBI double that put Kentucky up 4-2. Donaldson, the offensive leader so far for the Wildcats, contributed an RBI single immediately after.

Another big hit from Donaldson today brings in another run! 😉

6-2, Bot 1st pic.twitter.com/tOcXo6bWCe

— Eleanor Beavin (@EBeavinKSR) February 7, 2025

Allie Blum, up for the second time in the inning, sneaked a ground ball up the center to score two more runners, ending the inning up 8-2.

On the mound, sophomore pitcher Sydney Langdon got the start. She pitched four innings and gave up two earned runs. The other Notre Dame runs were due to errors. Sarah Haendiges took over for Langdon in the 5th inning, putting away three straight Notre Dame batters in her first appearance for Kentucky.

To end the game, Donaldson had an RBI single to right center field, putting Kentucky up 12-4 and enforcing the run rule. For NCAA softball, the run rule is enforced if either team is up by eight or more runs after the 5th inning.

More Games Ahead

Kentucky will play another double-header tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 8 against Morgan State (12 p.m. EST) and Southern Miss (3 p.m. EST). They will conclude the weekend against 8th-ranked Duke (11 a.m. EST) on Sunday, Feb. 9.