March 12, 2002
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The University of Kentucky softball team earned a split with Ohio State on Tuesday, March 12, at OSU’s Buckeye Field, downing the Buckeyes, 4-3, in eight innings and falling, 4-0, in five innings. The split moves the Wildcats’ record to 14-9 on the season.
In the day’s first game, senior Andy Eilertson’s bases-loaded single to right with one out pushed junior Nikki Jones across the plate as the Wildcats downed OSU, 4-3, in eight innings, UK’s sixth extra-inning game of the season.
Meghan Cooper picked up her seventh win of the season for the Cats, pitching 8.0 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits. The freshman also crushed her second home run of the year, a solo shot to right-centerfield in the fifth which hit the bottom of the scoreboard.
UK, which found itself trailing 1-0 after of the bottom of the third, scored twice in the top of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Jones singled to start the inning and advanced to second as the OSU second baseman threw the ball into the dugout trying to get Jones, who had beaten the throw. A Lyndsey Angus single scored Jones from second and then Angus later came home on a Rachel Friberg sacrifice fly to right.
After Cooper’s home run in the top of the fifth, OSU scored two in the bottom of the fifth to knot the score at 3-3, setting the stage for UK’s fifth extra-inning win of the season. Jones and Angus both walked to get the eighth started for the Cats and each moved up a base on Angie Dal Pozzo’s bloop single to right, loading the bases, bringing Eilertson up to the plate.
Dal Pozzo and Eilertson both finished the game 2-for-4 while Jones was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.
The second game was a different story as the Buckeyes scored two in the bottom of the first en route to a 4-0, five-inning win. The game was called after five due to darkness.
UK threatened to start the game with a big inning as Jones, Angus and Dal Pozzo all singled to load the bases with just one out in the top of the first. However, the Cats could not get anyone home as Eilertson hit into a fielder’s choice, which erased Jones at the plate. Friberg then grounded out to the shortstop, ending the inning.
After putting two runs on the board in the bottom of the first, the Buckeyes lit up the scoreboard once each in the third and fourth innings while the Wildcats could only manage three more singles over the next three innings before the game was called due to darkness.
Senior Jennifer Howland suffered the loss for UK to drop her record to 4-2 on the year.
UK will return to the field on Saturday, March 16, as it opens up Southeastern Conference play at Eastern Division rival Florida. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled to get underway at noon ET.
Game OneKentucky 00021001-4 9 0Ohio State00102000-3 9 1WP: Cooper (7-2). LP: Allen (4-2). S: none
Game TwoKentucky 00000- 0 6 1Ohio State2011X-4 8 0WP: Chain (5-2). LP: Howland (4-2). S: none.
-UK-
