Two wins at Arkansas this weekend would put UK into a first-place tie in the Southeastern Conference. (Photo by Vicky Graff)
Kentucky has a huge series at Arkansas this weekend and by winning at least two of the three games could move into a first-place tie with Alabama in the Southeastern Conference race.
Kentucky coach Rachel Lawson, now in her 15th season as UK’s head coach, said Wednesday this was not a scenario she would have ever envisioned when she took over at UK.
“If you had told me in my first three to five years that Arkansas and Kentucky would play a weekend series in April and both would be in the top part of the league I would have said you were crazy,” Lawson joked Wednesday.
She said SEC softball is more like the NFL with the parity in the league because schools have put more money into softball and athletes are getting better.
Arkansas (30-7 overall, 9-3 SEC) is ranked sixth while Kentucky (28-9, 8-4) is 12th. Five other SEC teams are also in the top 25, including No. 2 Alabama (33-6, 10-5).
Lawson says the three-game series that starts Friday night is going to be fun for both teams with no added pressure because players and coaches feel the pressure of reaching the NCAA Tournament, staying above .500, not getting swept in road series or keeping jobs.
“We are all used to pressure. When you get into a situation where you are fighting for first place it is more fun. It takes the pressure off,” Lawson said. “I don’t think either team will be feeling any added pressure.”
Lawson said her team has to play “clean defense” because errors have cost UK in most of its losses.
“When we don’t play defense, we don’t win. It’s that simple,” Lawson said.
Arkansas junior right-hander Chenise Delce had two wins and a 0.00 ERA in the series sweep over No. 17 Auburn last weekend. Delce had 15 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings and allowed just two hits while holding opponents to a .080 batting average.
Arkansas has homered 73 times and has four players with 11 or more home runs, 39 or more RBI’s and batting averages of .392 or higher. Kentucky’s pitching staff has a SEC-best 2.93 earned run average and has given up just 22 homers in 37 games.
“We have to hit line drives and make them play defense,” Lawson said. “It’s important we barrel up on the ball and make them play defense and keep the runs down.”
