May 1, 1999
The University of Kentucky softball team (22-39, 5-11) will play host toNo. 7 LSU on Sunday, May 2, at the UK Softball Complex with a doubleheaderset to begin at 11 a.m.
This will be the final home game of the season for the Wildcats.Sophomore Leslie Kwiatkowski continues to lead UK at the plate. The UKcenter fielder leads the Wildcats with a batting average of .390.Kwiatkowski also leads UK in runs (37), hits (73), home runs (6), RBI (39),total bases (107), and slugging percentage (.572). She has also stolen 22bases, contributing to UK’s SEC-leading 87 stolen bases.
Sophomore Tiffany Kruse, a mainstay in UK’s offense this season, isbattling a 3-18 slump (.166). As a result, her average has dipped to .354. Kruse leads UK in triples with five and is tied for seventh in the SECwith 68 hits.
LSU (44-8, 21-3) leads the SEC Western Division and has won 31 of its last34 games. The Tigers’ two SEC losses came in a pair of 2-1 defeats at thehands of Ole Miss and Arkansas.
On Friday in Knoxville, Tenn., LSU split with Tennessee. The Tigers fellto the Vols, 3-2, in the first game but rebounded with a 5-0 victory in thesecond game.
The Tigers are strong in every facet of the game. As a team, LSU ishitting .298 led by Ashlee Ducote and Dee Douglas. Ducote is batting .389and leads LSU in doubles (15), home runs (4), and slugging percentage (.626).
Douglas has stolen an SEC-leading 37 bases this season and leads theTigers with 54 runs, 58 hits, and is tied for the team lead with fourtriples.
LSU owns an earned run average 1.21 and is led by Ashley Lewis and BritiniSneed. Lewis and Sneed form a dangerous tandem for the Tigers. Lewis is20-3 and has pitched 132.1 innings with 99 strikeouts while Sneed is 17-3this season and has pitched 130 innings with 147 strikeouts. Both pitchershave pitched 12 complete games and six shutouts. Opponents are hittingjust .182 off LSU pitching.
LSU leads the overall series between the two schools, 3-0. Last season isBaton Rouge, the Tigers captured two games, 3-0 and 1-0 wins. UK is 1-9this season against teams ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25.UK is coming off a split with Arkansas at home on April 28, ending aten-game losing streak for the Wildcats.
