CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Kentucky Softball team lost to No. 8 Duke 6-3 on Sunday afternoon as five unearned runs handed to the Blue Devils doomed the Wildcats in the final game of the 2025 National Fastpitch Coaches Association D1 Lead-Off Classic.
Despite the loss Sunday, Kentucky finished the opening weekend of the season with a 4-1 record and was crowned the NFCA Lead-Off Classic Tournament Champions thanks to a +34 run differential in the event. It is the first time that UK has ever won the event.
Sunday’s much-anticipated game lived up to the hype as Kentucky and Duke were evenly matched throughout the day, but it was two Kentucky errors that ended up playing a part in five of the six Blue Devil runs that placed them on the top of the ledger Sunday afternoon. UK got solid outings in the circle from Alexia Lacatena, Sydney Langdon and Sarah Haendiges, but it was Cassidy Curd who threw a complete game for the Blue Devils and earned her second win of the season.
Peyton Plotts was 1-for-3 on the day with an RBI double in the bottom of the first inning that tied the game at 1-1 as she drove in Allie Blum, who stood on second after a two-out double. Plotts was given All-Tournament honors by the NFCA as the sophomore from Lexington, Kentucky hit .563 on the weekend with nine hits, five runs scored, four doubles and 10 RBI.
Kentucky closes the weekend 4-1 as Duke finishes the tournament with a 3-2 mark. The Wildcats will be in action Thursday afternoon as part of the ESPN Shriners Children’s Elite Invitational presented by EvoShield at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex running all of next weekend in Clearwater.
Duke Spoils Kentucky’s Perfect Weekend, Cats Still Win Tourney – UK Athletics​
Despite the loss Sunday, Kentucky finished the opening weekend of the season with a 4-1 record and was crowned the NFCA Lead-Off Classic Tournament Champions thanks to a +34 run differential in the event. It is the first time that UK has ever won the event.
Sunday’s much-anticipated game lived up to the hype as Kentucky and Duke were evenly matched throughout the day, but it was two Kentucky errors that ended up playing a part in five of the six Blue Devil runs that placed them on the top of the ledger Sunday afternoon. UK got solid outings in the circle from Alexia Lacatena, Sydney Langdon and Sarah Haendiges, but it was Cassidy Curd who threw a complete game for the Blue Devils and earned her second win of the season.
Peyton Plotts was 1-for-3 on the day with an RBI double in the bottom of the first inning that tied the game at 1-1 as she drove in Allie Blum, who stood on second after a two-out double. Plotts was given All-Tournament honors by the NFCA as the sophomore from Lexington, Kentucky hit .563 on the weekend with nine hits, five runs scored, four doubles and 10 RBI.
Kentucky closes the weekend 4-1 as Duke finishes the tournament with a 3-2 mark. The Wildcats will be in action Thursday afternoon as part of the ESPN Shriners Children’s Elite Invitational presented by EvoShield at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex running all of next weekend in Clearwater.
Duke Spoils Kentucky’s Perfect Weekend, Cats Still Win Tourney – UK Athletics​