April 12, 2003
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
The University of Kentucky softball team (9-33, 1-21) dropped their 20th straight game when they fell in both games of a doubleheader to the 11th-ranked LSU Tigers, Saturday at Tiger Park. The Tigers (32-11, 10-6) scored all their runs in the third inning of the first game to win 5-0 and scored seven in the third inning of game two to cruise to a 9-1 victory in six innings.
In the first game, Kentucky seemed to have LSU star pitcher Kristin Schmidt timed, as they pounded out five base hits in the first three innings. But all five runners were stranded on base as the game remained scoreless going into the bottom of the third.
UK pitcher Amy Kendall did not allow a hit in the first two innings, but in the bottom of the third, the Tiger bats came alive. A double and a single put runners on first and third with no one out. Sara Fitzgerald laced a double down the left field line, scoring both runners. Following a walk by Camille Harris, Tessa Lynam hit her fourth home run of the season, putting the Tigers up 5-0.
After the third inning it became a pitcher’s duel as neither Kendall nor Schmidt allowed a base runner the rest of the way. Except for the third inning, Kendall no-hit the Tigers, striking out five. Following four straight one-two-three innings for the Cats, LSU walked away with the 5-0 win.
In game two, after two and a half scoreless innings, the Tigers had their second high scoring third inning of the day. Three hits, three walks, a wild pitch and a Kentucky error gave LSU the 7-0 lead. It was the 13th time a team had scored at least five runs in an inning against the Cats.
In the top half of the fourth, the Cats tried to begin to chip away at the lead. Lyndsey Angus led off with her first triple of the year. Rachel Friberg then hit a blooper that landed between the second baseman and right fielder for an RBI single. Following a strikeout, Jessica Nance hit a line drive into right field, but Friberg was thrown out trying to get to third from first. A strikeout ended the inning with one run for Kentucky.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers threatened to end the game by the mercy rule. A double and two singles put another run on the board and runners on first and second with two out. A walk by pinch-hitter Lauren Delahoussay loaded the bases for LSU bringing up Tessa Lynam who had five RBI’s on the day up to that point. After three straight balls, UK pitcher Crystalie Wolfe pitched one right down the middle before getting Lynam to ground out to Amy Kendall at third base to end the inning.
In the sixth, a double by Megann Steege scored Blair Smith from second. That gave LSU an eight-run lead and ended the game because of the mercy rule, 9-1.
Angus had a spectacular day, going 4-6 with a triple and Kentucky’s only run. Friberg had a hit in each game, extending her hitting streak to a career-high six games.
The two teams will close out the series on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT. Live stats and live audio of the game can be found at www.lsusports.net.
