March 25, 2000
The UK softball team dropped a doubleheader to the 14th-ranked AlabamaCrimson Tide Saturday afternoon, 4-3 and 6-2, snapping the Cats seven-gamewinning streak.
UK (17-15, 2-2 SEC) took an early lead in game one when Tiffany Krusedoubled to right field, scoring Leslie Kwiatkowski from second base. In thesecond inning, the Cats added another run when Andrea Eilertson scored on aerror by Alabama first baseman Ginger Jones.
The Tide answered with two runs of its own in the top of the third,however, UK regained the lead in the bottom of the inning when Kwiatkowskistole home, giving UK a 3-2 advantage.
Alabama tied the game in the sixth on Suzanne Olcott’s RBI-double, scoringJen Reach. With the game tied at 3-3 in the seventh, Christy Kyle scored onKelley Askew’s single to give Bama a 4-3 win, halting the Cats win streakat seven.
The Cats outhit the visiting Tide, 9-7, and still had several chances towin the game despite committing six errors. Kwiatkowski led UK at theplate, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three stolen bases. Kruse andAngie Dal Pozzo had two hits apiece for UK. UK pitcher Keary Camunas, whogave up just one earned run and struck out four, dropped to 10-8 with theloss, her first loss in her last eight starts.
In the second game, Alabama jumped on the Cats with three runs in thefirst inning off UK freshman hurler Morgan Marr.
The Cats, who left 10 runners on base in the game, got on the board in thesixth inning with back-to-back doubles by Kiwatkowski and Kruse, trimmingthe Tide’s lead to, 3-1.
Alabama added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh, but UK had achance to climb back in the game in the bottom of the inning. With thebases loaded, down 6-2, Colleen Boddy stepped up with two outs but fliedout to left field, ending the Cats’ threat.
Kruse and Dal Pozzo had two hits apiece for the Cats. Marr dropped to 2-2on the season, while striking out a career-high six batters.
“I thought we came out and played hard despite battling injuries,” UKcoach Beth Kirchner said. “Even without three of our starters, we intendedto come out and compete with the purpose of winning two games. We shouldhave won the first game, but we came back and battled hard in the secondgame.”
UK returns to action on Wednesday, March 29, when the Cats play host tointrastate rival Louisville. The first game of the doubleheader is set for6 p.m., while the second game is slated for 8 p.m.
R H EAlabama 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 4 7 1UK 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 9 6
WP – Laird (2-3) and Prejean, LP – Camunas (10-8) and Dengler. 2B – Olcott(UA), Kyle (UA), Kruse (UK)Records – Alabama (36-6, 6-1), UK (17-14, 2-1).
R H EAlabama 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 10 2UK 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 8 1
WP – Linder (5-1), Bautista and Askew, LP – Marr (2-2) amd Dengler. 2B -Kretschman (UA), Kyle 2 (UA), Kwiatkowski (UK), Kruse (UK), Dal Pozzo (UK)Records – Alabama (37-6, 7-1), UK (17-15, 2-2).
