UK vs UCLA: Softball Super Regional Sunday Preview and GameThread

Little known fact that ESPN was spouting yesterday: 85% of teams who take Game 1 in the Super Regional series move on to Oklahoma City and the Women's College World Series.

I say Coach Lawson and the Cats can beat those odds.

Yesterday's game had all the features of a Hollywood story: a mighty powerhouse (UCLA is ranked 3rd overall in the Tournament and has 12 National Title trophies on the shelf, with the most recent one in 2010) vs. a fiesty upstart (Kentucky is ranked #14th overall and has never played in OKC, forget the title game), multiple grand slams (one for each team), passionate fanbases unafraid to show their love for their respective club, and an umpire named Jerry Maguire. (Yes, I'm serious.)

One has to wonder if all that L.A. drama was a little too much for our Hittin' Kittens. Sophomore pitching star Kelsey Nunley threw an uncharateristic 7 walks and only 2 strikeouts. Kentucky also had 2 very costly errors, to include a bizarre collision and dropped ball on an easy pop-up fly to center.

Hopefully, the Cats have shaken off their stage fright and are ready to walk into Easton Stadium and play the game of their lives. This is a best of 3 series, so if the Cats want to make that next step on the road to OKC, they have to win both games today. First game is at 3 EDT on ESPNU, with the final game that we REALLY hope is necessary at 6 EDT.

We'll be here at ASoB, catching the action and cheering them on. Until 3 PM, Cat Fans - Go Big Blue!