Rain Ruins Kentucky Softball's Strong Start in Charlotte Tournament

Rain plagued the No. 14 Kentucky Softball team over the weekend in Charlotte.

The Wildcats traveled down to Charlotte to compete in the 2024 Queen City Classic. Play began on Friday, March 1, as the Wildcats took on Fordham University to open things up. Kentucky got off to a stellar start in their first matchup and took a 13-0 lead over Fordham by the middle of the second inning but then the rain came. Due to the terrible weather, the game was deemed a no-contest and it would not resume, therefore the ‘Cats large lead meant nothing to Mother Nature.

After monitoring the radar for the rest of Friday’s slated schedule, the tournament decided to cancel all games that were scheduled for Friday. This change had an effect on Kentucky’s schedule and sent the team into a so-so rest of the weekend.

By the end of their time in Charlotte, the No. 14 Wildcats finished 2-2 in their four contests that were played on Saturday and Sunday.

Game 1 and 2 Cancelled

Although the ‘Cats put eight runs on the board in the first inning and five runs in the second against Fordham on Friday, rain dampened the match-up. The team’s hard work from the plate was decided a no-contest, which meant that none of the statistics from the game counted and it would not be resumed later.

Kentucky was also set to play the tournament’s host Charlotte University later on Friday but the game was also washed out.

Game 3: UK 8, Minnesota 0

The sun was out on Saturday in Charlotte, which meant that the weekend was back on for Kentucky Softball. Although their first day was rained out, the Wildcats got off to a solid start in their first true game of the weekend as they took on the Minnesota Gophers.

Senior stud Erin Coffel led the ‘Cats off with a bang against the Gophers. The Indiana native knocked a ball out of the park to tie the UK Softball career home run record at 61. It was a 1-0 game heading into the second inning after right-handed pitcher Stephanie Schoonover shut down Minnesota offensively. Coffel continued to play a role in bringing the runs in for her team with a single RBI to make it 3-0 by the end of the second.

All ‘Cats got hot at the plate later in the matchup as two bombs were sent out of the park courtesy of Rylea Smith and Lexington-native Peyton Plotts. Smith drove in a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to put Kentucky up 8-0 and secure the first win on the weekend for her team in run-rule fashion.

Dingers and Dubs ✅#LevelUp x #WeAreUK pic.twitter.com/YSmjtgMort

— Kentucky Softball (@UKsoftball) March 2, 2024

Game 4: Charlotte 4, UK 3

After getting off to a dazzling start on Saturday and shutting out Minnesota 8-0 earlier in the day, the Wildcats fell flat in their second game of the weekend.

Things were looking good for the team at the start of their matchup against the Charlotte 49ers on Saturday evening. Freshman pitcher Sydney Langdon was on the mound for the ‘Cats and held the 49ers to no runs in the first. Senior and former Indiana Hoosier Grace Lorsung stepped up big at the top of the second and rocketed a ball out of the park to give Kentucky an early 1-0 lead. Charlotte was luckier in the third after an RBI single scored a run for them and made it a tied 1-1 ballgame.

At the top of the fifth Plotts hit an RBI single to bring in another Wildcat run and give them the lead again at 2-1. Langdon continued to do well in the circle as she kept the 49ers at one run. Another promising Kentucky-native freshman Ally Hutchins crushed a solo homer out to give UK the 3-1 lead at the top of the seventh. Langdon got the first two Charlotte batters out in the bottom of the seventh but a walk and hit by pitch placed two on base. A three-run homer from the 49ers got them the walk-off 4-3 win to round out Saturday.

Game 5: Fordham 10, UK 8

The Wildcats were looking for revenge on Sunday. They came out swinging against Fordham early Sunday morning and the game got tied up at 2-2 following the first inning after both squads hit two-run homers to get things started.

Graduate transfer and left-handed pitcher Jaden Vickers was in the circle for the ‘Cats and struggled through the first two innings. Vickers gave up another two-run bomb in the second and Fordham took the 4-2 lead. The bats were rocking for both teams in the third after Fordham scored two more at the top of the inning after hitting a double right off the bat. Alexia Lacatena came in for Vickers after the double was hit to start the third. Unfortunately for Kentucky, Fordham continued to succeed from the plate and it was a 9-5 game heading into the fifth inning.

At the top of the fifth things finally started to click for Kentucky on defense as two fly-outs and a strike-out from Lacatena held Fordham scoreless. An RBI single from Wildcat Karissa Hamilton brought a run in for the team at the bottom of the fifth and cut the UK deficit down to 9-6. The sixth was a strong inning for Kentucky after they held Fordham scoreless for the second inning in a row. Fordham’s defensive errors allowed them to cut the game to 9-8 going into the seventh.

Fordham’s bats were sizzling earlier in the game and came back in the seventh after they were able to rope another ball out of the park to make it 10-8. The Wildcats had one last chance at the bottom of the seventh to come back but two pop-outs and a foul out was all she wrote for the squad as they tallied their second loss of the weekend.

Game 6: UK 8, UNC-Wilmington 1

Kentucky’s final game of the tournament was a snoozer until the third inning when Peyton Plotts hit a two-run bomb and an RBI single brought in a run to make it a 3-1 game in favor of the Wildcats. The bats continued to roll in the fourth for the team as Coffel hit her 62nd career homer to break the program’s all-time record.

It’s her crown now 👑 @erincoffel5 x #LevelUp pic.twitter.com/VnQs8sbA73

— Kentucky Softball (@UKsoftball) March 3, 2024

By the top of the sixth, it was a 5-1 game as Kentucky held the lead. Coffel shined as she roped a two-run RBI double to right field in the sixth to give her team the 8-1 advantage. Neither team did much in the seventh and the ‘Cats walked away with the dub.

After weather struggles started the weekend off, the No. 14 Lady Bat ‘Cats finished 2-2 overall. This sets their current record at 13-4 on the season.

Looking Ahead

Kentucky’s next game will be their home opener against Bellarmine on Wednesday, March 6, at John Cropp Stadium. The ‘Cats will face off against the Knights at 5 pm EST on Wednesday night.