Kentucky Wildcats and the big ble nation braved a chilly February 21st, to cheer their baseball and softball teams to a thrilling start. In Nashville, the No. 23 baseball squad outdueled Belmont 2-1 in their series opener, while in Atlanta, the No. 24 softball team split their I-75 Tournament debut—blasting Georgia Tech 10-0 before falling 3-1 to Coastal Carolina. Frigid temps couldn’t cool Kentucky’s red-hot pitching, as both teams leaned on mound mastery to kick off their weekend slates. Here’s how the Cats clawed through the cold.
Baseball: Pitching Clinic Freezes Belmont
At E.S. Rose Park, Kentucky baseball (2-1) turned a frosty night into a pitcher’s paradise, edging Belmont 2-1 with a combined 14 strikeouts and just two hits allowed. Starter Nic McCay was electric again, fanning seven over 6.0 innings, his only hiccup a first-inning run on a sun-aided triple and passed ball. Reliever Jackson Nove stole the show, striking out six straight after a lost ball in the lights gave Belmont its lone baserunner against him—Simon Gregersen sealed it with no walks across the trio.
Runs were tough to come by, but Luke Lawrence’s speed (two stolen bases) sparked both Kentucky tallies. He scored in the first, and in the sixth, Patrick Herrera’s full-count, two-out single plated him for the game-winner. After a weather-disrupted opening week—snow nixxed practices, and Lipscomb split a doubleheader—Coach Nick Mingione’s Cats are hitting their stride. Game 2’s Saturday at 2 PM ET on UK Sports Network (98.5 FM Lexington).
Softball: Split Decision in Atlanta’s Chill
Down in Atlanta, Kentucky softball (3-2) flexed their muscle at the I-75 Tournament opener, splitting a frigid doubleheader. Against Georgia Tech, senior Alexia Lacatena tossed a 5.0-inning shutout—four hits, four strikeouts, no walks, and 46 of 65 pitches for strikes—improving to 3-1. Sophomore Delani Sullivan ignited a 10-0 run-rule rout with her first career homer, a fourth-inning bomb to right-center, as Kentucky capitalized on five hits and four Tech errors.
The Coastal Carolina game flipped the script. Nicolette Picone’s complete-game gem held Kentucky to five hits and one run, with the Cats struggling 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-7 with two outs. Coastal’s two homers—a solo shot in the second and a two-run dagger in the fifth—secured a 3-1 win. Coach Rachel Lawson’s squad eyes redemption Saturday against Memphis (12 PM ET) and Georgia Tech (3:30 PM ET, ACC Network Extra), with Sunday’s Kennesaw State finale at 11 AM ET on ESPN+.
Wildcats Weather the Storm
Kentucky’s baseball and softball teams shrugged off a brutal winter warmup—snowed-out practices and schedule tweaks—to shine. Baseball’s 14-strikeout clinic and softball’s 10-run outburst prove this program’s are at least . With Belmont and I-75 action rolling through the weekend, Kentucky’s spring surge is just heating up.