Kentucky
No. 24 SDSU Beats No. 25 Kentucky and UC Santa Barbara
SAN DIEGO – No. 24 San Diego State swept a pair of games on Saturday night at SDSU Softball Stadium, including a 2-1 victory over previously unbeaten and 25th-ranked Kentucky. The Aztecs (2-2) opened with a 2-1 win over the Wildcats (3-1) before beating UC Santa Barbara, 6-1, in the nightcap.
In the opener, Mac Barbara hit a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the third inning to put SDSU in the lead and Allie Light pitched four scoreless innings of relief to pick up her first win of the season.
UK, which has picked up two wins over No. 3/3 Stanford this weekend and another victory over Minnesota, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when Eric Coffel doubled in Jenna Blanton. With no outs and two runners in scoring position. San Diego State freshman starting pitcher Cece Cellura got Peyton Plotts to line out to second base, where Micaela Macario almost tagged the runner on second for the double play. On the very next pitch, Rylea Smith flew out to shallow center field, where Macey Keester rifled a throw to catcher Cali Decker, who tagged Vanessa Nesby at the plate for the inning-ending double play.
The Aztecs responded in the bottom of the third as Katie Goldberg led off with a single to right field. It appeared Goldberg was going to be stranded at first base after Keester fouled out and Bella Espinoza lined out, both to Grace Lorsung at third base. Micaela Macario struck out swinging, but advanced to first on a passed ball. Goldberg and Macario each moved up a base on a wild pitch before Barbara ripped a 1-2 pitch to center field to give SDSU a lead it would not relinquish.
Light (1-0) entered in the fourth and worked around four hits and a walk over four innings, striking out three while stranding seven Kentucky runners. Cellura, pitching in her first career game and earning her first start, gave up one run on four hits and no walks over three innings, striking out one.
Light and Cellura stranded nine Wildcats in the game, and held Kentucky to just a 3-for-15 outing with runners on base and 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Barbara, Goldberg and Macario had San Diego State’s hits in the game, while Alyssa Garcia reached via walk.
In the nightcap, the Aztecs surpassed their run and hit total from the first three games of the season with six runs and 12 hits in a 6-1 win over the Gauchos (0-4).
Barbara homered, singled, had two RBIs, a run and a walk to pace the SDSU offense, while four others – Goldberg (2 RBI, SF), Keester (RBI, R), Macario (RBI, R, 3B) and AJ Murphy – added two hits apiece.
UCSB tied San Diego State with an infield single by Elicia Acosta in the bottom of the first but the Aztecs scored the final five runs of the game.
Garcia (1B, BB) and Angie Yellen (2-for-3, 2 R, BB) also reached twice for SDSU, which went 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position and 7-for-19 with runners on base.
Cellura gave up one run on two hits and no walks over two innings as the starter, striking out two. Dee Dee Hernandez pitched a scoreless four innings of relief, striking out four with three hits and no walks allowed. Hernandez got the win and is now 1-1 on the year. Cassidy West hit the first batter she faced in the seventh but retired the next three in order with two strikeouts.
THE NOTE
RHP Allie Light has pitched 12 1/3 scoreless innings this season with just nine hits allowed (.191 average).
THE NOTE II
In the nightcap, San Diego State outhit UC Santa Barbara, 12-5, making it 13 consecutive victories when outhitting its opponent.
STAT OF THE DAY
Despite playing games in the opening weekend against Stanford (No. 3 in last year’s final RPI), Minnesota (No. 28), Kentucky (No. 29) and UC Santa Barbara, the Aztec pitching staff went 2-2 with a 1.75 ERA in 28 innings, striking out 25 against three walks and limiting the opposition to a .263 average.
UP NEXT
SDSU plays at San Diego at 5 p.m. PT Wednesday.
Game 1: No. 24/rv San Diego State 2, No. 25/rv Kentucky 1
Kentucky (3-1) 001 000 0 — 1 8 0
San Diego State 002 000 x — 2 3 2
Langdon and Hamilton; Cellura, Light (4) and Decker
W – Light, 1-0; L – Langdon, 0-1
Game 2: No. 24/rv San Diego State 6, UC Santa Barbara 1
San Diego State (2-2) 110 211 0 — 6 12 0
UC Santa Barbara (0-4) 100 000 0 — 1 5 1
Cellura, Hernandez (3), West (7) and Decker, Garcia (4); Snyder, Stoll (4), McCoskey (5) and Donaldson
W – Hernandez, 1-1; L – Snyder, 0-2
HR: San Diego State, Barbara (1)
Other Saturday Scores at the San Diego State Season Kickoff
No. 25/rv Kentucky 3, No. 3/3 Stanford 2 (8 inn.)
No. 3/3 Stanford 3, Minnesota 0
Minnesota 4, UC Santa Barbara 3
13 things more likely to happen than winning the Powerball jackpot
Hoping to win the Powerball jackpot? Here are 13 things more likely to happen than becoming an instant millionaire.
The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Thursday, June 25, 2026 winning numbers for each game.
Cash Ball
02-08-24-32, Cash Ball: 09
Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Evening: 6-3-0
Midday: 9-6-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 5-7-6-0
Midday: 5-2-6-6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
03-13-14-34-45, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Courier Journal digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.
On Thursday, Kentucky’s home and away SEC opponents for the 2026-27 season were revealed and on top of learning the three opponents who they will play twice, there are some very intriguing matchups. In conference play, Kentucky will face six teams who are among the top 25 in many preseason rankings.
In SEC play, Kentucky will play Tennessee, Vandy and Ole Miss all both home and away. The home matchups include Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vandy. As for the road tilts, the Wildcats will face Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and Vandy. Let’s take a look at some interesting developments from the schedule release.
John Calipari returns to Rupp Arena (again)
In Calipari’s first year with Arkansas, he got the best of Kentucky when he came into Rupp Arena and left with a 10-point victory, a game where you could really feel the tension all game long in the building from Kentucky fans, which translated onto the court with the players. Last season, it was Kentucky who shocked everyone when they stole one on the road against a top 20 Arkansas team after a rough up-and-down season up to that point. Now, the two will face off again as Kentucky will look to get the win in Rupp and make sure Calipari doesn’t get two in a row in the building. It’ll be another highly-anticipated showdown.
Kentucky hits the road at Texas
This is shaping up to be a major challenge for Kentucky next season and may even end up being one of the biggest games of the season. Texas is seen by many as a clear top 10 team, with some even having them within the top five and when you combine that with the fact that the game is on the road, the Wildcats will have their hands full. The Wildcats fell to the longhorns in the 2024-25 season, and it’ll be a much stiffer challenge this time.
Which game could be a trap?
We don’t have the game-by-game dates yet, so it’s hard to say with a lot of confidence, but opponent-wise, Georgia could really give Kentucky fits. In Pope’s first year, his team struggled handling the physicality of the Bulldogs and now, they’ve retained one of their best guards for another year and have added physicality through the portal. Mike White’s teams love to make opponents uncomfortable and they could do that once again down in Athens. Another sneaky team to watch is Oklahoma, who will have very good guard play. Kentucky will face both teams on the road.
Overall, it’s a pretty fair SEC schedule for a Kentucky team who has the capability of a return to being atop the conference once again. Mark Pope has such a system-fit squad and he can do some damage in the SEC.
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Fourth of July festivities to celebrate in Louisville
See the Fourth of July festivities planned in Louisville for America’s 250th birthday celebration.
Fourth of July is almost here, and Kentuckians are getting ready to light up the sky.
Before you plan your fireworks celebrations, it’s important to know what is and isn’t allowed under Kentucky law. Here’s what to know about fireworks laws and safety tips in the Bluegrass State ahead of Independence Day.
Can you set off fireworks in Kentucky?
Yes. As long as you live in a place where local ordinances don’t prohibit it, according to the Kentucky State Fire Marshal’s website.
Are fireworks legal in Louisville?
In Louisville or Jefferson County, larger display fireworks are not legal due to a local law. Some consumer products that don’t leave the ground, such as sparklers, are allowed.
If the cautionary label on the firework has the words “explosive,” “emits flaming pellets,” “flaming balls,” “firecracker,” “report” or “rocket,” it is automatically a no-go, according to the Louisville-Jefferson County Code of Ordinances.
But, smaller ones like sparklers, cylindrical or cone fountains, wheels and ground spinners are legal. Still, don’t let the size fool you − they can burn up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Learn more: Check out these 4th of July events taking place across Kentucky
How to use fireworks safely
The state fire marshal suggests following the following advice when using fireworks:
- Use fireworks outdoors.
- Obey local laws.
- Keep a bucket of water or a working water hose nearby.
- Use fireworks as intended and avoid altering them or combining them.
- Never relight “dud” fireworks. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
- Spectators should keep a safe distance from the person lighting the firework (the individual lighting it should wear safety glasses).
- Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a “designated adult operator.”
- Do not use homemade fireworks or illegal explosives.
- Report illegal explosives to the fire or police department in your community.
- Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks.
- Read and follow all instructions on the label.
Former Courier Journal reporter Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez contributed. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.
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