Vicky Graff Photo
Kentucky will finish its third straight Southeastern Conference series today without ace pitcher Stephanie Schoonover when it hosts Tennessee in front of a sold-out crowd.
The Wildcats were 4-2 in SEC play when Schoonover beat Texas A&M 10-2 three weeks ago to improve her record to 12-1 with a 1.45 earned run average and eight shutouts in 20 appearances, including 15 starts. She also had three saves. Schoonover struck out 146 in 96 1/3 innings and yielded just 36 walks and 56 hits.
However, since she has been sidelined by an arm/wrist injury, Kentucky (25-12-1, 7-7 SEC) is 3-5 in conference play after Saturday’s 10-2 loss to Tennessee in front of a season-high 1,887 fans following Friday’s 2-1, eight-inning loss to the No. 6 Vols.
Coach Rachel Lawson said there was “not much of one” when asked about a Schoonover update after Saturday’s loss. Schoonover was in street clothes on the bench with a wrap/brace on her right wrist that she kept protected before, during and after the game.
“It is still just a waiting game. It is an arm issue, so we don’t want to push it too fast and have her redo it,” Lawson said. “We are on the upswing. I expect we will see her some time in the near future, I just am not sure when yet.”
Kentucky senior catcher Kayla Kowalik, an All-American, won’t deny the team misses Schoonover, one of the nation’s best pitchers this season.
“I know she is working her butt off right now to make sure she is healthy in a couple of weeks. We are all rooting for her and waiting for her to get back,” Kowalik, who has four of UK’s seven hits against Tennessee this weekend, said. “We know she is going to take her time to make sure she is healthy and she is ready. When she is 100 percent, we are ready to have her back.”
Lawson said because Schoonover throws so hard, it takes time for the injury to heal.
“Luckily during that time span (when Schoonover has been out) and as much as we didn’t play great today, we have had a lot of good games under our belt and got some key wins so you are not having to rush her back as fast because we were able to get those wins,” Lawson said.
Kentucky likely will start sophomore Alexia Lacatena today against the Vols. She has 9-4 record in 17 starts with a 2.68 ERA in 68 innings. She pitched well Friday but UK could not muster enough offense to win.
“Alexia has been really good. I thought she was outstanding last night (Friday in a 2-1 eight-inning loss to Tennessee). It was unfortunate we didn’t get the win for her but she did everything she needed to do to get the win,” Lawson said Saturday. “We just didn’t string the hits together and get the timely hit when we needed it.”
