The Wildcats are 26-22 on the year.
STARKVILLE, Miss. (April 15, 2000) — The University of Kentucky softball team dropped adoubleheader to 20th-ranked Mississippi State on Saturday at the MSU SoftballField. The Bulldogs captured the opener, 6-2, and won the second game, 7-3.
MSU (36-16, 13-7 Southeastern Conference) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning whencatcher Keri McCallum scored from third on an error by UK third baseman AndreaEilertson.
The Bulldogs put two more runners across in the third when center fielder KellieWilkerson stole home and Michelle Gates scored from third as UK catcherLyndsey Angus attempted to throw out a runner at second.
UK (26-22, 8-8) got on the board in the sixth inning on back-to-back doubles byLeslie Kwiatkowski and Tiffany Kruse. Kwiatkowski double over Wilkerson’s head,scoring Beth Fogle from second. Then Kruse doubled to left center, scoringKwiatkowski from second as the Cats cut the Bulldogs lead to, 4-2.
McCallum capped the MSU scoring with a two-run blast to center off UK starterKeary Camunas in the sixth, giving the Bulldogs a 6-2 victory.
MSU pitcher Jennifer Pursell improved to 23-10 with the win, while Camunas, whostruck out six batters, dropped to 15-11. Nikki Jones and Kruse recorded two hitsapiece for the Cats.
In the second game, Jones scored from second when Fogle reached on a throwing error by MSU thirdbaseman Michelle Gates.
The Bulldogs hammered UK starting pitcher Morgan Marr for three runs on four hits in the bottom of the first.The assault continued in the bottom of the second when the Bulldogs lit up the scoreboard for three runs onfive hits, giving MSU a 6-1 lead after two innings.
In the third inning, Fogle scored for the Cats when Kruse grounded out to first base. In the sixth, JamieDardis’ RBI-single scored Angie Dal Pozzo >from third.
Courtney Frank earned the win for MSU, improving to 5-4. Marr dropped to 5-6 on the season.
UK returns to action on Thursday, April 20, when the Cats play host to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers atthe UK Softball Complex. The doubleheader will begin at 6 p.m.
R H EUK 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 7 2MSU 1 0 2 0 1 2 x 6 7 2WP Pursell (23-10) and McCallum; LP Camunas (15-11) and Angus. 2B KeriMcCallum (MSU), Leslie Kwiatkowski (UK), Tiffany Kruse (UK). HR McCallum (MSU)R H EUK 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 6 3MSU 3 3 0 0 0 1 x 7 10 3WP Frank (5-4), Whitehead and McCallum; LP Marr (5-6), Howland and Angus. 2BHehnke (MSU). 3B Gates (MSU).Records UK (26-22, 8-8 SEC); MSU (36-16, 13-7).
