No. 15 Kentucky Walked Off by No. 10 Mississippi State in First Round of 2026 SEC Softball Tournament

Noah Ellis,

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — The Kentucky Wildcats’ season came to a close with a 4–3 loss to Mississippi State in the first round of the 2026 SEC Softball Tournament.

The Wildcats’ three runs were all driven in by senior Karissa Hamilton, who hit two home runs in Tuesday’s season-ending loss.

Kentucky ace Sarah Haendiges pitched a near-complete game in her final collegiate start. Haendiges posted a line of 6.1 innings pitched, one earned run, two walks, and eight strikeouts.

The Wildcats finish the season at 26–29 (1–23 in the SEC) and end the year on a 24-game conference losing streak.

The loss also knocks Kentucky out of NCAA Tournament contention for 2026, snapping a streak of 16 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

Categories: Solid Blue, Sports

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