The No. 23 Kentucky Wildcats softball team kicked off SEC play in style, completing a rousing three-game sweep over the Missouri Tigers at John Cropp Stadium. After clawing out tight victories on Friday (6-4) and Saturday (5-4), the Cats capped the weekend with a 9-6 slugfest on Sunday, sending a roaring message to the Southeastern Conference: Kentucky’s ready to rumble. With Grand Prix Weekend festivities revving up the home crowd, Coach Rachel Lawson’s squad blended timely hitting, gritty pitching, and a dash of home-field magic to start their conference slate 3-0, improving to 17-6 overall while dropping Missouri to 11-13 (0-3 SEC). Let’s peel back the hood on Sunday’s finale and see what made this engine purr.
The series finale was a rollercoaster that’d make even the most seasoned Kentuckian clutch their bourbon a little tighter. Kentucky jumped out early, but Missouri refused to go quietly, turning a sunny afternoon into a tense, back-and-forth brawl. The Wildcats ultimately prevailed 9-6, thanks to a potent mix of power bats and a bullpen that slammed the door shut.
It started with a bang—literally. Karissa Hamilton smashed a solo homer in the first to stake Kentucky to a 1-0 lead, her second dinger of the series. Missouri answered in the top of the second, capitalizing on a fielding miscue and a Julia Crenshaw two-run shot to take a 3-1 edge. But the Cats roared back in the bottom half, with Cassie Reasner—who’d already played hero on Friday—lacing an RBI single to trim it to 3-2.
The third inning flipped the script. Kentucky’s bats erupted for three runs, sparked by Hamilton’s two-run double and a Missouri error that let Peyton Plotts scamper home. Suddenly, it was 5-3 Cats, and John Cropp Stadium was buzzing like a hive of blue-and-white bees. The fourth inning? Pure fireworks. Reasner crushed a three-run homer—her second of the weekend—after Plotts and Anna Mauck (pinch-running for Lauryn Borzilleri) worked their way on base, pushing the lead to 9-3. The 1,035 fans in attendance erupted, sensing the sweep was within reach.
Missouri, though, had fight left. In the sixth, Abby Hay’s two-run blast and an RBI double from Taylor Ebbs clawed the Tigers back to 9-6, chasing starter Alexia Lacatena from the game. Enter Sarah Haendiges, Kentucky’s relief ace. After Julie Kelley navigated a bases-loaded jam, Haendiges took the mound with ice in her veins, retiring four of five batters—including a strikeout—to notch her third save of the series. When the final out settled into a glove, the Wildcats had their sweep, and Missouri was left licking its wounds.
This series belonged to a trio of Wildcats who turned John Cropp into their personal playground. Cassie Reasner was a one-woman wrecking crew, going 3-for-3 with five RBIs in Sunday’s finale alone, including that back-breaking three-run bomb. Her three-run homer on Friday had set the tone, and her clutch hitting all weekend was the glue that held Kentucky’s offense together. Karissa Hamilton, meanwhile, flexed her power with a homer and three RBIs on Sunday, her double in the third proving pivotal. And then there’s Sarah Haendiges—cool, calm, and downright nasty. She tossed 2.1 scoreless innings on Friday for the save, fanned the final batter on Saturday to clinch the series, and sealed Sunday’s deal with 1.1 shutout frames.
Kentucky’s arms had to grind to keep Missouri’s bats at bay. Carson Fall started Sunday but lasted just an inning, surrendering three runs (two earned) on three hits. Alexia Lacatena took over, earning the win (6-1) with four innings of work, though she allowed three runs on four hits. Julie Kelley bridged the gap in the sixth, and Haendiges polished it off. It wasn’t always pretty—three errors didn’t help—but the staff’s 11 strikeouts across the series and knack for escaping jams kept the Tigers from stealing a game. Missouri’s Taylor Pannell (3-3) took the loss Sunday, roughed up for four runs in an inning of relief.
This sweep isn’t just a feel-good story—it’s a statement. Missouri’s no pushover, with sluggers like Crenshaw (two hits, three RBIs, including a homer Sunday) and Hay (two hits, two RBIs, including a homer) capable of flipping any game. Yet Kentucky handled them thrice, showcasing depth, resilience, and a flair for the dramatic. At 17-6 overall and 3-0 in the SEC, the Wildcats are riding high, their bats clicking (eight hits Sunday, including two homers and two doubles) and their bullpen locking it down. Posts on X from fans like and capture the vibe: pure, unadulterated excitement.
Up Next: The Road Ahead
Kentucky’s got a midweek tilt with Virginia Tech on March 12 before hitting the road to face LSU in Baton Rouge. This sweep sets the table nicely, giving Lawson’s crew momentum and confidence as they navigate a brutal SEC slate. Missouri, meanwhile, limps home at 11-13, searching for answers after a rough 0-3 start in conference play. For the Wildcats, though, the party’s just beginning—Grand Prix Weekend might be over, but the horsepower under this team’s hood is revving for more. Buckle up, Big Blue Nation; it’s gonna be a wild ride.