Five Straight Runs Propel Cards to 8-7 Comeback in Battle of the Bluegrass

Wednesday, March 25

Lexington, KY

5:30 PM

University of Louisville

21-13

University of Kentucky

26-7

Louisville

Kentucky

Five Straight Runs Propel Cards to 8-7 Comeback in Battle of the Bluegrass

March 25, 2026 | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

This marks the Cards' first win in Lexington since 2015.

By: Erin Hughes

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Louisville softball team (26-7) defeated Kentucky (21-13) in comeback fashion to win the first installment of the Battle of the Bluegrass by a score of 8-7 in nine innings.

Camryn Lookadoo led the way against her former team, going 3-for-5 with one RBI, driving in the game-tying run in the top of the seventh inning. Former Wildcat Chelsea Mack went 2-for-5, posting one double and one run in the game. Easton Lotus, Madison Pickens and Taylor Monroe each contributed two hits of their own, and Bri Despines drew two walks and knocked a triple to finish the day 1-for-3 with two RBIs and scoring three runs. Alyssa Zabala and Brooke Gray combined for all nine innings, with Gray taking the win in the circle after 5.2 innings of work with three strikeouts to move to 7-1 on the year.

Kentucky struck first, scoring on a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead. A two-run shot from Taylor Monroe tied the score back up at two in the very next frame.

Zabala worked a scoreless home half of the second to get Louisville back to the plate. The Cards took the lead 3-2 in the top of the third after Monroe drove in Despines on a fielder's choice.

The Wildcats answered with another two-run homer in the bottom of the third to retake the lead at 4-3 and added onto its lead with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. The fifth inning was quiet, and UK doubled the lead to 6-3 with a solo shot to centerfield in the bottom of the sixth.

Mack and Lotus led off the top of the seventh with back-to-back singles before Despines used her second triple of the year to bring Louisville back within one at 6-5. Following a pitching change by Kentucky, Lookadoo singled in Despines to tie the game at 6-all.

Gray worked out of the eighth inning to bring the heart of the order back up for the Cards. Despines took a leadoff walk, and Lookadoo doubled to center field to get both runners in scoring position for UofL. Pickens singled down the right field line to plate both runners and give Louisville the lead back at 8-6.

UK added one more run on a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the ninth, but Gray forced the last batter to fly out to left field and end the game.

Louisville will be back in action when it plays host to Georgia Tech from March 27-29. The games will take place at 6 p.m., 1 p.m. and noon and will be broadcast on ACCNX.