Feb. 1, 2002
Miami, Fla. – The University of Kentucky softball team dropped its first two games of the 2002 season, falling to Georgia, 9-2, and Illinois State, 9-3, during the opening day of the Fun In the Sun Tournament on Florida International University’s campus in Miami, Fla., on Friday.
The Wildcats (0-2) scored the first run of season in the top of the third inning as Beth Fogle crossed the plate on Lyndsey Angus’ sacrifice fly to left field to take a 1-0 lead. Georgia (1-0) responded by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth as the No. 2 through No. 5 hitters all singled and eventually crossed home plate.
UK answered in the top of the fifth with Fogle crossing the plate thanks to an Angie Dal Pozzo sacrifice fly to left to close the gap to 4-2 Bulldogs. UGA stood strong in their half of the inning, however, pounding out six hits and scoring five runs, keyed by a Kristen Bell home run off of reliever Jennifer Howland for the final margin.
Freshman Jessica Nance may have made the most exciting play of the game in the bottom of the sixth as she robbed UGA’s Michelle Tyree of a home run as she ran back and made a spectacular grab over the right field fence.
Morgan Marr absorbed the loss, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing eight runs, all earned, on 11 hits. Fogle led the way offensively, going 2-for-4 with two singles and two runs scored.
In the Cats’ second game, Illinois State (1-0) scored off of freshman hurler Meghan Cooper in each of the first four innings to take a commanding 8-1 lead.
UK, which trailed after one, tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second as Dal Pozzo touched home thanks to an Andy Eilertson RBI single. Dal Pozzo, who had walked to start off the inning, reached second on a Nance sacrifice before advancing home on Eilertson’s hit.
The Redbirds would not go away, however, scoring a run in the bottom of both the second and third innings and then touching home five times in the bottom of the fifth, three coming off a Cutie Taylor home run to right center for a 8-1 lead.
UK scored two in the top of the fifth to close the gap to five, 8-3, as both Rachel Friberg and Fogle came home. UK had a chance to get even closer, but Nikki Jones was thrown out at home for the final out of the inning by ISU centerfielder Lauren Bierwirth to cut short the UK rally.
Cooper took the loss, pitching the entire game and yielding five earned and nine total runs on 13 hits. Fogle again led the offense, going 3-for-4 with a run scored.
“It was good for us to get the jitters out,” UK Coach Beth Kirchner said. “We are looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow and competing again.”
UK will resume action on Saturday as the Wildcats face host Florida International at 2:30 p.m. ET.
GAME 1Georgia 9, Kentucky 2
Kentucky 001 010 0 – 2 6 1Georgia 000 450 X – 9 14 3WP: Urban (1-0) LP: Marr (0-1) S: none
GAME 2Illinois State 9, Kentucky 3
Kentucky 010 020 0 – 3 8 4Illinois State 111 501 x – 9 13 2WP: Rast (1-0) LP: Cooper (0-1) S: none
-UK-
