April 9, 2000
LEXINGTON, Kty. — The University of Kentucky softball team staged an exciting comeback inthe bottom of the seventh inning in the second game of a doubleheaderagainst 18th-ranked South Carolina Sunday afternoon to capture a 6-5victory and earn a split in the four-game series with the Lady Gamecocks.UK fell to USC in the first game, 4-1.
Andrea Eilertson’s one-out single to left field, scoring Tiffany Krusefrom second base, capped the UK comeback after the Cats blew a 3-0 lead inthe top of the sixth inning.
UK (25-19, 7-5 Southeastern Conference) took a 3-0 lead in the thirdinning aided by two USC errors and a two-run double by Kruse.
However, the Cats ran into trouble in the sixth inning. With UK clingingto a 4-2 lead, USC second baseman Kim Schultze hit a two-out, two-run shotover the left field fence off UK reliever Keary Camunas to give the LadyGamecocks a 4-3 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, the Cats loaded the baseswith nobody out but came up empty-handed as USC reliever Megan Matthewspitched out of the jam.
USC added an insurance-run in the seventh when Megan Donohoo scored on athrowing error by UK shortstop Angie Dal Pozzo.
Down 5-3, with one out, Lyndsey Angus doubled to left center and LeslieKwiatkowski followed with a single to center, scoring Angus from second.Kruse reached on an error by USC second baseman Schultze with Kwiatkowskiadvancing to third. Dal Pozzo stepped to the plate and singled to center,scoring Kwiatkowski to tie the game, 5-5. With Kruse on second and DalPozzo on first, Eilertson hit a ball just past USC shortstop KendraMcCutcheon that squirted into left field as Kruse scored, giving the Cats a5-4 victory.
The win was UK’s school record seventh SEC victory this season. The lasttwo seasons, the Cats recorded just six conference wins.
The Cats pounded out 12 hits in the game, 10 off Matthews who dropped to18-12 with the loss. Keary Camunas earned the win for UK, improving to14-10 this season. UK freshman starter Morgan Marr struck out a careerseven batters in five innings of work.
Angus, Kwiatkowski, Kruse, Dal Pozzo, and Eilertson had two hits apiecefor the Cats. Kruse hit her team-leading 11th and 12th doubles of the season.
In the opener, USC jumped on the Cats early when right fielder JoyceMcMillin hit her seventh home run of the season, a two-run shot off Camunasto left field to give the Lady Gamecocks a 2-0 lead. USC added another runin the third when McMillin scored on a throwing error by Kwiatkowski.
In the fifth, UK second baseman Nikki Jones scored from third when USCcatcher Adrienne Genovese attempted to throw Angus out at first on a buntattempt. Genovese was charged with an error on the play.
USC (29-17, 10-9) went on to a 4-1 victory as Matthews earned her 18th winof the season, while striking out seven UK batters.
“Our comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning really showed me a lotabout the heart of our team,” UK coach Beth Kirchner said. “We shouldcontinue to draw confidence from this weekend that we can play with atop-20 team.”
UK returns to action on Friday, April 14, when the Cats travel to Oxford,Miss., to take on the Ole Miss Rebels in a doubleheader, beginning at 6p.m. (EST).
R H EUSC2 0 1 0 0 0 14 6 3UK0 0 0 0 1 0 01 5 2
WP – Matthews (18-11) and GenoveseLP – Camunas (13-10) and Angus2B – Genovese (USC)HR – McMillin (USC).
R H EUSC 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 5 8 5UK 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 6 12 2
WP – Marr, Camunas (14-10) and AngusLP – McMillin, Matthews (18-12) and Genovese.2B – Donohoo (USC), Hall 2 (USC), Troesh (USC), Angus (UK), Kruse 2 (UK)HR – Schultze (USC).Records – USC (29-17, 10-9 SEC), UK (25-19, 7-5 SEC).
