College softball comes at you fast. Kentucky wrapped up the weekend playing its 16th game of the season. The same season that just started back on February 6th. That is essentially one game per day so far. The Cats were 6-4 and have now ran off 6 straight. While the basketball Cats struggled over the weekend, softball was making history.
Karissa Hamilton hits for cycle in 5-0 win over NC A&T
Kentucky started off the weekend with a shutout victory over North Carolina A&T. While the pitching was extraordinary, it was Karissa Hamilton at the plate that stole the show.
She came up to the plate in the bottom of the first and drilled a 2-run home run and picked up a single in the 3rd. In the 5th inning, she actually got to bat twice. She hit a double in her first appearance, leaving her just one triple away from the cycle. And in the second, she smacked one off the wall and hustled all the way to 3rd.
In doing so, she became only the second UK Softball player to ever hit for the cycle (Angie Del Pozzo, 2001).
Kentucky then rattled off 3 wins in a row over Northern Illinois, Bradley, and Memphis with a combined score of 25-4. But maybe the most impressive performance was held for Sunday.
Hailey Nutter throws second no-hitter of the season
Freshman Hailey Nutter threw a no-hitter in her first collegiate start against Loyola-Chicago on the 7th. She followed that up with yet another no-hitter on Sunday against Indiana State. She struck out 12 of the 16 batters she faced, and didn't walk anyone. Just like her first no-no, the only base runner was allowed on base by an error.
She only had to go 5 innings because Kentucky was ahead by 8 heading into the 6th, the game is considered over.
The ladies will be back on the field Friday as they open the John Kropp Classic against Michigan State.