April 25, 2002
ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Kentucky stroked five doubles, two off of the bat of senior Andy Eilertson, but it was not enough as the Wildcats fell to No. 25 (USA Today/NFCA) Georgia, 5-3, in Southeastern Conference softball action on Thursday, April 25, at the Georgia Women’s Athletic Complex. The victory gave the Bulldogs a three-game series sweep over the Wildcats to improve to 50-12, 18-12 SEC while UK fell to 21-29, 3-18 SEC.
Michelle Green (17-3) threw a complete game from the circle for the victory while UK senior Jennifer Howland suffered the loss to fall to 6-9 on the year.
Eilertson (2-for-3, 2B, 1 run, 1 RBI) led the UK hitting attack while freshman Jessica Nance (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI) and junior Lyndsey Angus (2-for-3, 2B) each also had two hits for the Cats.
The Bulldogs tacked two runs on in the first to jump on top early. Leadoff hitter Nicole Barber (3-for-3, 3 runs) doubled to center before Kim Wendland (0-for-1, 2 BB, 2 runs) drew a base on balls. Both runners moved up a base on a Howland wild pitch before Michelle Tyree (0-for1, 1 RBI) hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Barber. Wendland followed her home on Kristen Bell’s (3-for-3, 4 RBI) RBI single through the left side of the infield.
UGA added two more in the bottom of the third as Barber singled and Wendland walked. The pair moved up a base on Tyree’s sac bunt before trotting home on Bell’s triple to right center. UK limited the damage to just two as Bell was thrown out at home on an attempted double steal.
The Cats did not go away quietly as UK put three on the board in the top of the fourth. Senior Sandi Dengler (1-for-4, 1 run) stroked a one-out single up the middle and raced home as Eilertson doubled to the fence in right centerfield. Freshman Meghan Cooper (0-for-2, 1 BB, 1 run) drew a one-out walk before Nance brought the Cats within a run, 4-3, with a double to right center, scoring both Eilertson and Cooper.
UGA’s Barber stole two bases in the game to reach 59 on the year and has now set the all-time NCAA record with 70 consecutive successful stolen bases.
Kentucky, which is currently mired in a 10-game SEC losing streak, will stay on the road this week as the Cats travel to the Plains for an SEC battle with Auburn. The series starts with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. CDT on Saturday, April 27.
Kentucky 0003000-3 9 1Georgia 202010X-5 7 1WP: Green (17-3). LP: Howland (6-9). S: none.
-UK-
