By Hallie Conley

On Sunday, Sept. 13, Louisville softball lost to Kentucky 9-1 on the road.

Since 2000, Louisville softball has fallen to Kentucky 26 times and won 21 times in regular season play.

Historically, the SEC is a powerhouse conference in softball, with teams like Oklahoma, Florida, LSU and Alabama going deep into postseason play almost every year.

Kentucky has struggled in conference play in recent years, placing last and going an abysmal 1-23 in 2026 conference games. Louisville, on the other hand, placed 4th overall in the ACC, going 18-6 in conference play in the same year.

But the Cards fell to Kentucky, so what does this mean looking into the 2027 season?

Departures

Louisville may have trouble this spring after the loss of pitcher Alyssa Zabala.

This weekend, they struggled to keep Kentucky off the bases, allowing 9 runs in 10 innings. The loss of Zabala certainly had something to do with this, as she was a pillar for the Cardinals on the mound in recent years.

Zabala recently signed to play professional softball for the Florida Vibe. She was a pivotal part of the Louisville defense, and the Cardinals will be looking to veteran Brooke Gray to step up in her place this season.

Zabala, however, is not the only loss for the Cardinals going into 2027.

Outfielder Madison Pickens made the decision to transfer to LSU for the 2026-27 year, leaving a gap that Louisville will inevitably have to fill.

Pickens was a large part of Louisville’s success at the plate and in the field, with a career fielding percentage of .964, and a batting average of .373. Pickens also recorded 99 RBI’s in her time at Louisville.

Incoming players

The Cardinals are also welcoming some new faces this year.

Abby DeWaters is a sophomore catcher who transferred from South Florida. She appeared in 18 games for the Bulls, where she batted .205.

Mak Sitarski comes in as a sophomore outfielder from Toledo. She logged 29 games there, batting .125 with 32 at-bats. With the loss of Pickens, Louisville will need Sitarski to prove herself in the outfield in 2027.

Lastly, Kaidance Till is an infielder and redshirt freshman transfer from Ole Miss. In high school, she finished her senior season with a .648 batting average and 17 home runs. The Cards will undoubtedly be looking for Till to step up at the plate this season.

Louisville softball set multiple single season records last year, but time will tell if the loss of standouts like Pickens and Zabala will affect this year’s performance.

With the addition of new players, the Cardinals have a solid chance at redeeming their loss against Kentucky this spring if they adjust accordingly.

Photo Courtesy / Paige Kuwata / Louisville Athletics