March 8, 2002
LEXINGTON, Ky. –
The University of Kentucky softball team will play its first home games of the 2002 season as the Wildcats play host to the UK Invitational Tournament, March 9-10, at the UK Softball Complex. The tournament is scheduled to get underway at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 9, while UK’s first pitch will come at 5 p.m. Saturday night.
“We are very excited about playing our first couple of games in front of our own fans,” UK Coach Kirchner said. “With Southeastern Conference play right around the corner, the field of teams this weekend will give us a good test before switching over to primarily SEC action.”
The Wildcats (12-7) are riding a four-game winning streak, having swept intrastate foe Morehead State on Tuesday, March 5. UK set the record for home runs in a game (three) in the second game against the Eagles while senior Beth Fogle set the UK record for hits in a game (five) and tied the UK record for steals in a game (three) in the first contest of the double-header.
This is the fifth consecutive season that Kentucky will play host to the UKIT and are coming off the school’s best showing in the tournament in 2001, having gone 3-2 last season.
Eastern Kentucky, Evansville, Kent State, Illinois State and Ohio will join the Wildcats this weekend in the Bluegrass. UK has already faced two of them, splitting a pair of games with ISU at the Fun in the Sun Tournament in Miami, Fla., Feb. 2-3, and downing EU, 6-5, at the Sonic Challenge in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Feb. 22.
2002 UKIT Schedule
Saturday, March 9Illinois State vs. Kent State 9 a.m.Ohio vs. Eastern Kentucky 11 a.m.Illinois State vs. Eastern Kentucky 1 p.m.Evansville vs. Ohio 3 p.m.Kent State vs. Kentucky 5 p.m.Evansville vs. Kentucky 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 10Evansville vs. Kent State 9 a.m.Eastern Kentucky vs. Kent State 11 a.m.Eastern Kentucky vs. Evansville 1 p.m.Ohio vs. Illinois State 3 p.m.Ohio vs. Kentucky 5 p.m.Illinois State vs. Kentucky 7 p.m.
-UK-
