Road trip continues at Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Arkansas softball team looks to continue its eight-game winning streak when it takes on Kentucky in a three-game weekend series at the UK Softball Complex.

The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for Noon CDT both days.

Arkansas (17-8, 2-0 SEC) is coming off a sweep of a pair of games against South Carolina on Wednesday in Columbia, S.C. The Razorbacks won 8-5 and 3-2 behind strong pitching from Hope McLemore and Layne McGuirt. Offensively, Arkansas continues to be led by senior outfielder Jessica Bachkora. Bachkora was 9-for-9 in plate appearances against the Gamecocks, finishing the day 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, three RBIs and four walks.

The Razorbacks are batting .254 as a team while the team ERA is 1.81 with 142 strikeouts.

Kentucky is 17-9 (3-2 SEC) on the season with a 2-2 record at home. Earlier this week, the Wildcats knocked off No. 5 Alabama in a 5-4 win. It marked just the second time in school history the Blue and White tallied a win over the Crimson Tide. Kentucky then played Morehead State on Thursday and the Wildcats earned their 17th win of the season with a 3-0 victory over the Eagles. In both outings, sophomore Brittany Cervantes charted a game-winning three-run home run

At the plate, the Wildcats are led by second baseman Natalie Smith who boasts a .372 average with 29 hit and seven RBIs. Shortstop Molly Johnson is next with a .325 average, seven home runs and 13 RBIs. She is also 12-of-14 on stolen base attempts this season.

In the circle, sophomore Chanda Bell who has a record of 10-5 in 14 starts leads Kentucky. The sophomore has a 2.20 ERA on the season with 155 strikeouts. Bell has thrown 12 complete games and three shutouts. Fellow pitcher Rachel Riley is 5-2 with a 1.11 ERA.

Arkansas edged Kentucky 2-1 in a three-game series when the two teams met in Fayetteville last season. The Razorbacks dropped the first game of the weekend before winning the next two by the score of 8-5 and 4-3. Arkansas leads the all-time series between the SEC opponents 25-11.

This weekend’s games will be broadcast on KXUA Fayetteville (88.3 FM) and ArkansasRazorbacks.com, which will also carry live stats for the Kentucky series.

Download: 3.20 Kentucky Notes.pdf