March 6, 1998

RICHMOND, Ky. – Freshman Leslie Kwiatkowski ripped a base hit to right field in the bottom of the eighth inning to score catcher Sarah Snider, giving the Kentucky softball team a 1-0 win over Miami (Ohio) in the Eastern Kentucky Invitational on Friday.

With the score tied at 0-0 in the extra frame, Snider began the inning on second base due to the international tie-break rule. Shortstop Michelle Bucci laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Snider to third, setting the stage for Kwiatkowski. The centerfielder hit a line drive to right field, easily scoring Snider from third to give UK the 1-0 victory. The win was UK’s fourth extra-inning victory this season and pushed the Wildcats to 7-4 in one-run contests.

Keary Camunas picked up her seventh victory for the Wildcats, giving up just two hits and striking out four to earn her third shutout win of the season. Camunas faced just three batters in six of the eight innings she pitched, and faced only four batters in the other two innings.

Third baseman Lindsay Houser also registered a hit for the Wildcats and led the UK defensive charge, tying her own school record with seven assists.

The Wildcats were not as fortunate in the first game of the tournament, narrowly dropping a 3-2 decision to host Eastern Kentucky. It was the second time this season UK has lost a one-run contest to the Colonels, having come up on the short end of a 1-0 scoreline at the UNC Triangle Classic two weeks ago.

UK twice answered back from one-run deficits to tie the game, but could not push a run across after EKU took a 3-2 lead in the fourth. The Colonels jumped on the board in the first inning, but the Wildcats responded in the top of the second. Houser led the inning off with a single and tied the game at 1-1 three batters later after beating a throw to the plate. EKU took a 2-1 lead in the third, but, again, the Wildcats responded with a run. With two outs, Lorie Horner doubled and then scored when Susan Moore reached on an error. However, the Colonels took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth and UK could not manage a third tying run. Horner, who played her first two seasons at EKU before transferring to UK, finished the game 3-for-3 at the plate against her old teammates.

UK continues action at the EKU Invitational on Sunday, as the Wildcats face Wright State and Dayton beginning at 2 p.m.